3  1822024640310 


JBRARt 

UVtHSI^0'   * 
CALIFORNIA 

5AN  DIEGO   ? 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA.  SAN  DIEGO 


3  1822024640310 
THE  LEGEND   OF  TYL  ULENSPIEGEL 


LAM  ME  AND  ULENSPIEGEL 
AT  THE  MINNE-WATER 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE 

GLORIOUS  ADVENTURES 

of  TYL    ULENSPIEGEL     IN    THE 
LAND  OF  FLANDERS  £•?  ELSEWHERE 

"By   CHARLES   DE   COSTER 

WITH    TWENTY    WOODCUTS    BY 
ALBERT   DELSTANCHE 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  FRENCH 
BY  GEOFFREY  WHITWORTH 

NEW  YORK 
ROBERT   M.  McBRIDE  fif  COMPANY 

1918 


PRINTED  IN  ENGLAND 
AT  THE  COMPLETE  PRESS 
WEST  NORWOOD  LONDON 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel  at  the  Minne-Water  Frontispiece 

At  Damme  when  the  Hawthorn  was  in  flower  Facing  page       2 

Claes  and  Soetkin  8 

Philip  and  the  Monkey  26 

Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  44 

The  Feast  of  the  Blind  Men  54 

The  Monk's  Sermon  76 

Father  and  Son  94 

Ulenspiegel  and  Soetkin  by  the  Dead  Body  of  Claes  1 1 8 

"Ah!  The  lovely  month  of  May  /  "  174 

Lamme  succours  Ulenspiegel  218 

The  Mock  Marriage  224 

Lamme  the  Victor  232 

:  *T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert  "  242 

The  Death  of  Betkin  248 

''  The  ashes  of  Claes  beat  upon  my  heart  "  262 

Nele  accuses  Hans  268 

Katheline  led  to  the  Trial  by  Water  278 

"  Shame  on  you  !  "  cried  Ulenspiegel  284 

The  Sixth  Song  302 

vii 


FOREWORD 

THE  book  here  offered  in  English  to  the  English-speak- 
ing public  has  long  been  known  and  admired  by 
students  as  the  first  and  perhaps  the  most  notable 
example  of  modern  Belgian  literature.  Its  author  was  born  of 
obscure  parentage  in  1827,  and,  after  a  life  passed  in  not  much 
less  obscurity,  died  in  1 879.  The  ten  years  which  were  devoted 
to  the  composition  of  "  The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel "  were 
devoted  to  what  proved,  for  de  Coster,  little  more  than  a  labour 
of  love.  Recognition  came  to  him  but  from  the  few,  and  it 
was  not  till  some  thirty  years  after  his  death  that  an  official 
monument  was  raised  at  Brussels  to  his  memory,  and  an 
official  oration  delivered  in  his  praise  by  Camille  Lemonnier. 

To  the  undiscerning  among  his  contemporaries  de  Coster 
may  have  appeared  little  else  than  a  rather  eccentric 
journalist  with  archaeological  tastes.  For  a  time,  indeed,  he 
held  a  post  on  the  Royal  Commission  which  was  appointed 
in  1860  to  investigate  and  publish  old  Flemish  laws.  And 
towards  the  end  of  his  life  he  became  a  Professor  of  History 
and  French  Literature  at  the  Military  School  in  Brussels. 
Never,  certainly,  has  a  work  of  imagination,  planned  on  an 
epic  scale,  been  composed  with  a  closer  regard  for  historical 
detail  than  this  Legend.  But  if  our  present  age  is  less  likely 
to  be  held  by  this  than  by  those  other  qualities  in  the  book  of 
vitality  and  passion,  it  can  only  be  that  de  Coster  poured 
into  his  work  not  merely  the  knowledge  and  accuracy  of  an 
historian,  but  the  love  as  well  and  the  ardour  of  a  poet  and 
a  patriot. 

The  objection — if  it  be  an  objection — that  de  Coster 
borrowed  unblushingly  from  his  predecessors  need  never 
be  disputed.  His  style  is  frankly  Rabelaisian.  The  stage 
whereon  his  actors  play  their  parts  is  set,  scene  almost  for 
scene,  from  the  generally  available  documents  that  served 
such  a  writer  as  Thomas  Motley  for  his  "  History  of  the  Rise 

ix 


Foreword 

of  the  Dutch  Republic."  Even  the  name,  the  very  lineaments 
of  Ulenspiegel,  are  borrowed  from  that  familiar  figure  of  the 
sixteenth-century  chap-books  *  whose  jolly  pranks  and  school- 
boy frolics  have  been  crystallized  in  the  French  word 
espieglerie,  and  in  our  own  day  set  to  music  in  one  of  the 
symphonic  poems  of  Richard  Strauss. 

Yet  from  such  well-worn  ingredients  de  Coster's  genius 
has  mixed  a  potion  most  individually  his  own.  The  style  of 
Rabelais  is  tempered  with  a  finish,  a  neatness,  and  a  wit  that 
are  as  truly  the  product  of  the  modern  spirit  as  was  the 
flamboyant  jollity  of  Rabelais  the  product  of  his  own  Renais- 
sance age  ;  the  sensible,  historical  foreground  of  a  Motley 
becomes  the  coloured  background  to  a  romantic  drama  of 
human  vice  and  virtue,  linked  in  its  turn  to  a  conception  of 
the  cosmic  process  which  has  no  other  home,  surely,  than  in 
the  author's  brain.  While  Ulenspiegel  himself  is  now  not 
simply  the  type  of  young  high  spirits  and  animal  good 
humour,  but  a  being  as  complex,  as  many-sided  almost  as 
humanity — all  brightness  of  intellect,  all  warmth  of  heart, 
all  honour,  and  all  dream — the  immortal  Spirit  of  Flanders 
that  knows  not  what  it  is  to  be  beaten,  whose  last  song 
must  for  ever  remain  unsung. 

What  shall  we  say  of  those  other  homely  personages  who 
fill  the  scene — symbols  no  less  of  Flemish  character  at  its 
finest  and  of  the  enduringly  domestic  springs  of  Flemish 
national  life  ?  Claes  the  trusty  fatherhood,  Soetkin  the 
valiant  motherhood  of  Flanders,  Nele  her  true  heart,  Lamme 
Goedzak  her  great  belly  that  hungers  always  for  more  and 
yet  more  good  things  to  eat  and  is  never  satisfied  ?  Or 
what,  again,  of  the  tragic  Katheline,  half  witch,  half  martyr, 
and  the  centre  of  that  dark  intrigue  which  seems  to  throb 
like  a  shuttle  through  the  mazy  pattern  of  the  plot,  threading 
it  all  into  unity  ? 

*  The  Author's  debt  to  such  sources  is  especially  noticeable  in  chapters  xii, 
xxiv,  xxvi,  xxx,  and  xxxii  of  the  First  Book. 
X 


Foreword 

From  yet  another  standpoint :  as  an  envisagement  of  the 
horrors  of  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  de  Coster's  work  is 
probably  without  parallel  in  an  already  well-tilled  field. 
The  sinister  figure  of  the  King  of  Spain  broods  over  it  all 
like  a  Kaiser,  and  the  episodes  of  stake  and  torture  are 
recorded  with  a  realism  which  might  appear  exaggerated 
had  not  modern  Belgium — though  in  terms  of  "  scientific 
warfare  " — an  even  more  devilish  tale  to  tell.  The  fact  is 
that  de  Coster's  trick  of  stating  horror  and  leaving  it  to 
make  its  full  effect  without  a  touch  of  the  rhetoric  of  indig- 
nation, proves  the  deadliest  of  all  corrosive  weapons ;  and  it 
is  hardly  surprising  that  the  book  had  been  hailed  in  some 
quarters  as  a  Protestant  tract.  But  de  Coster  himself  was  in 
no  sense  a  theological  partisan,  and  his  sympathy  with  the 
Beggarmen  sprang  from  his  enthusiasm  for  national  liberty 
far  more  than  from  any  bias  towards  the  Protestant  cause  as 
such.  That  Catholicism  has  ever  been  identified  with 
tyranny  the  best  Catholic  will  most  deplore,  nor  will 
de  Coster's  (t  traditional "  irreverence  blind  such  a  reader's 
eyes  to  the  spiritual  generosity  which  permeates  the  whole 
work,  and  is,  indeed,  its  most  essential  characteristic. 

It  remains  to  add  that,  in  the  interests  of  war-time  pub- 
ishing,  the  present  version  represents  a  curtailment  of  the 
Legend  as  it  left  the  author's  hands.  Here  and  there  also,  to 
maintain  the  continuity  of  incident,  the  translator  has 
permitted  himself  some  slight  modification  of  the  original 
text.  By  this  means  it  is  hoped  that  the  proportions  of 
the  whole  have  been  fairly  maintained,  and  that  no  vital 
aspect  of  plot  or  atmosphere  has  been  altogether  suppressed 
or  allowed  an  undue  prominence. 

G.  A.  W. 


XI 


HERE  BEGINS  THE  FIRST  BOOK  OF 
THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  GLORIOUS 
JOYOUS  AND  HEROIC  ADVENTURES 
OF  TYL  ULENSPIEGEL  AND  LAMME 
GOEDZAK  IN  THE  LAND  OF  FLANDERS 
AND  ELSEWHERE 


I 

A  Damme,  in  Flanders,  when  the  May  hawthorn 
was  coming  into  flower,  Ulenspiegel  was  born,  the 
son  of  Claes. 

When  she  had  wrapped  him  in  warm  swaddling-clothes, 
Katheline,  the  midwife,  made  a  careful  examination  of  the 
infant's  head,  and  found  a  piece  of  skin  hanging  therefrom. 

"  Born  with  a  caul ! "  she  cried  out  joyfully.  "  Born 
under  a  lucky  star !  "  But  a  moment  later,  noticing  a 
small  black  mole  on  the  baby's  shoulder,  she  fell  into 
lamentation. 

"  Alas  !  "  she  wept,  "  it  is  the  black  finger-print  of  the 
devil !  " 

"  Monsieur  Satan,"  said  Claes,  "  must  have  risen  early 
this  morning,  if  already  he  has  found  time  to  set  his  sign 
upon  my  son  !  " 

"  Be  sure,  he  never  went  to  bed,"  answered  Katheline. 
"  Here  is  Chanticleer  only  just  awakening  the  hens  !  " 

And  so  saying  she  went  out  of  the  room,  leaving  the  baby 
in  the  arms  of  Claes. 

Then  it  was  that  the  dawn  came  bursting  through  the 
clouds  of  night,  and  the  swallows  skimmed  chirruping  over 
the  fields,  while  the  sun  began  to  show  his  dazzling  face  on  the 
horizon.  Claes  opened  the  window  and  thus  addressed  him- 
self to  Ulenspiegel. 

"  O  babe  born  with  a  caul,  behold  !  Here  is  my  Lord  the 
Sun  who  comes  to  make  his  salutation  to  the  land  of  Flanders. 
Gaze  on  Him  whenever  you  can  ;  and  if  ever  in  after  years 
you  come  to  be  in  any  doubt  or  difficulty,  not  knowing  what 
is  right  to  do,  ask  counsel  of  Him.  He  is  bright  and  He  is 
warm.  Be  sincere  as  that  brightness,  and  virtuous  as  that 
warmth." 

"  Claes,  my  good  man,"  said  Soetkin,  "  you  are  preaching 
to  the  deaf.  Come,  drink,  son  of  mine." 


AT  DAMME  WHEN  THE 
HAWTHORN  WAS  IN  FLOWER 


Hard  Times 

And  so  saying,  the  mother  offered  to  her  new-born  babe  a 
draught  from  nature's  fountain. 

II 

While  Ulenspiegel  nestled  close  and  drank  his  fill,  all  the 
birds  in  the  country-side  began  to  waken. 

Claes,  who  was  tying  up  sticks,  regarded  his  wife  as  she 
gave  the  breast  to  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Wife,"  he  said,  "  hast  made  good  provision  of  this 
fine  milk  ?  " 

"  The  pitchers  are  full,"  she  said,  "  but  that  doth  not 
suffice  for  my  peace  of  mind." 

"  It  seems  that  you  are  downhearted  over  your  good 
fortune,"  said  Claes. 

"  I  was  thinking,"  she  said,  "  that  there  is  not  so  much  as 
a  penny  piece  in  that  leather  bag  of  ours  hanging  on  the 
wall." 

Claes  took  hold  of  the  bag  and  shook  it.  But  in  vain. 
There  was  no  sign  of  any  money.  He  looked  crestfallen. 
Nevertheless,  hoping  to  comfort  his  good  wife — 

"  What  are  you  worrying  about  ?  "  says  he.  "  Have  we 
not  in  the  bin  that  cake  we  offered  Katheline  yesterday  ? 
And  don't  I  see  a  great  piece  of  meat  over  there  that  should 
make  good  milk  for  the  child  for  three  days  at  the  least  ? 
And  this  tub  of  butter,  is  it  a  ghost-tub  ?  And  are  they 
spectres,  those  apples  ranged  like  flags  and  banners  all  in 
battle  order,  row  after  row,  in  the  storeroom  ?  And  is 
there  no  promise  of  cool  refreshment  guarded  safe  in  the 
paunch  of  our  fine  old  cask  of  cuyte  de  Bruges  ?  " 

Soetkin  said :  "  When  we  take  the  child  to  be  christened 
we  shall  have  to  give  two  patards  to  the  priest,  and  a  florin 
for  the  feasting." 

But  at  this  moment  Katheline  returned,  with  a  great 
bundle  of  herbs  in  her  arms. 

"  For  the  child  that  is  born  with  a  caul,"  she  cried. 

3 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Angelica  that  keeps  men  from  luxury  ;  fenel  that  preserves 
them  from  Satan.  .  .  ." 

"  Have  you  none  of  that  herb,"  asked  Claes,  "  which  is 
called  florins  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  she. 

"  Very  well,"  he  answered,  "  I  shall  go  and  see  if  I  cannot 
find  any  growing  in  the  canal." 

And  with  that  he  went  off,  with  his  line  and  his  fishing- 
net,  knowing  that  he  would  not  be  likely  to  meet  any  one, 
since  it  was  yet  an  hour  before  the  oosterzon,  which  is,  in  the 
land  of  Flanders,  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Ill 

Claes  came  to  the  Bruges  canal,  not  far  from  the  sea. 
There,  having  baited  his  hook,  he  cast  it  into  the  water  and 
let  out  the  line.  On  the  opposite  bank,  a  little  boy  was 
lying  against  a  clump  of  earth,  fast  asleep.  The  boy,  who 
was  not  dressed  like  a  peasant,  woke  up  at  the  noise  that 
Claes  was  making,  and  began  to  run  away,  fearing  no  doubt 
that  it  was  the  village  constable  come  to  dislodge  him  from 
his  bed  and  to  hale  him  off  as  a  vagabond  to  the  steen.  But 
he  soon  lost  his  fear  when  he  recognized  Claes,  and  when 
Claes  called  out  to  him  : 

"  Would  you  like  to  earn  a  penny,  my  boy  ?  Well  then, 
drive  the  fish  over  to  my  side  !  " 

At  this  proposal  the  little  boy,  who  was  somewhat  stout 
for  his  years,  jumped  into  the  water,  and  arming  himself 
with  a  plume  of  long  reeds,  he  began  to  drive  the  fish  towards 
Claes.  When  the  fishing  was  over,  Claes  drew  up  his  line 
and  his  landing-net,  and  came  over  by  the  lock  gate  towards 
where  the  youngster  was  standing. 

"  Your  name,"  said  Claes,  "  is  Lamme  by  baptism,  and 
Goedzak  by  nature,  because  you  are  of  a  gentle  disposition, 
and  you  dwell  in  the  rue  H£ron  behind  the  Church  of  Our 
Lady.  But  tell  me  why  it  is  that,  young  as  you  are,  and 

4 


Enter  Lamme  Goedzak 

well  dressed,  you  are  yet  obliged  to  sleep  out  here  in  the 
open  ?  " 

"  Woe  is  me,  Mr.  Charcoal-burner,"  answered  the  boy. 
"  I  have  a  sister  at  home,  a  year  younger  than  I  am,  who 
fairly  thrashes  me  at  the  least  occasion  of  disagreement. 
But  I  dare  not  take  my  revenge  upon  her  back  for  fear  of 
doing  her  some  injury,  sir.  Last  night  at  supper  I  was  very 
hungry,  and  I  was  clearing  out  with  my  fingers  the  bottom 
of  a  dish  of  beef  and  beans.  She  wanted  to  share  it,  but  there 
was  not  enough  for  us  both,  sir.  And  when  she  saw  me 
licking  my  lips  because  the  sauce  smelt  good,  she  went  mad 
with  rage,  and  smote  me  with  all  her  force,  so  hard  indeed 
that  I  fled  away  from  the  house,  beaten  all  black  and 
blue." 

Claes  asked  him  what  his  father  and  mother  were  doing 
during  this  scene. 

"  My  father  hit  me  on  one  shoulder  and  my  mother  on  the 
other,  crying,  '  Strike  back  at  her,  you  coward  ! '  but  I,  not 
wishing  to  strike  a  girl,  made  my  escape." 

All  at  once,  Lamme  went  pale  all  over  and  began  to  tremble 
in  every  limb,  and  Claes  saw  a  tall  woman  approaching,  and 
by  her  side  a  young  girl,  very  thin  and  fierce  of  aspect. 

"  Oh,  oh  !  "  cried  Lamme,  holding  on  to  Claes  by  his 
breeches,  "  here  are  my  mother  and  my  sister  come  to  find 
me.  Protect  me,  please,  Mr.  Charcoal-burner  !  " 

"  Wait,"  said  Claes.  "  First  of  all  let  me  give  you  this 
penny-farthing  as  your  wages,  and  now  let  us  go  and  meet 
them  without  fear." 

When  the  two  women  saw  Lamme,  they  ran  up  and  both 
began  to  belabour  him — the  mother  because  of  the  fright 
he  had  given  her,  the  sister  because  it  was  her  habit  so  to  do. 
Lamme  took  refuge  behind  Claes,  and  cried  out : 

"  I  have  earned  a  penny-farthing !  I  have  earned  a 
penny-farthing  !  Do  not  beat  me ! " 

By  this  time,  however,  his  mother  had  begun  to  embrace 

5 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

him,  while  the  girl  was  trying  to  force  open  his  hands  and  to 
get  at  the  money.  But  Lamme  shouted : 

"  The  money  belongs  to  me.     You  shall  not  have  it." 

And  he  kept  his  fingers  tightly  closed.  But  Claes  shook 
the  girl  roughly  by  the  ears,  and  said  to  her : 

"  If  you  go  on  picking  quarrels  like  this  with  your  brother, 
he  that  is  as  good  and  gentle  as  a  lamb,  I  shall  put  you  in  a 
black  charcoal-pit,  and  then  it  won't  be  I  any  longer  that  will 
be  shaking  you  by  the  ears,  but  the  red  devil  himself  from 
hell,  and  he  will  pull  you  into  pieces  with  his  great  claws  and 
his  teeth  that  are  like  forks." 

At  these  words  the  girl  averted  her  eyes  from  Claes,  nor 
did  she  go  near  Lamme,  but  hid  behind  her  mother's  skirts, 
and  when  she  got  back  into  the  town,  she  went  about  crying 
everywhere : 

"  The  Charcoal-man  has  beaten  me,  and  he  keeps  the 
devil  in  his  cave." 

Nevertheless  she  did  not  attack  Lamme  any  more  ;  but 
being  the  bigger  of  the  two,  she  made  him  work  in  her  place, 
and  the  gentle  simpleton  obeyed  her  right  willingly. 

Now  Claes,  on  his  way  home,  sold  his  catch  to  a  farmer 
that  often  used  to  buy  fish  from  him.  And  when  he  was 
home  again,  he  said  to  Soetkin  : 

"  Behold  !  Here's  what  I  have  found  in  the  bellies  of 
four  pike,  nine  carp,  and  a  basketful  of  eels."  And  he 
threw  on  the  table  a  couple  of  florins  and  half  a  farthing. 

"  Why  don't  you  go  fishing  every  day,  my  man  ?  "  asked 
Soetkin. 

"  For  fear  of  becoming  a  fish  myself,  and  being  caught 
on  the  hook  of  the  village  constable,"  he  told  her. 

IV 

Claes,  the  father  of  Ulenspiegel,  was  known  in  Damme  by 
the  name  of  Kooldraeger,  that  is  to  say,  the  Charcoal-burner. 
Claes  had  a  black  head  of  hair,  bright  eyes,  and  a  skin  the 
6 


Claes  the  Charcoal- Burner 

colour  of  his  own  merchandise — save  only  on  Sundays  and 
Feast  Days,  when  his  cottage  ran  with  soap  and  water.  He 
was  a  short,  thick-set  man,  strong,  and  of  a  joyful  coun- 
tenance. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  day,  when  evening  was  coming  on, 
he  would  sometimes  visit  the  tavern  on  the  road  to  Bruges, 
there  to  rinse  his  charcoal-blackened  throat  with  a  draught  of 
c uyte ;  and  then  the  women  standing  at  their  doorways  to 
sniff  the  evening  dew  would  cry  out  to  him  in  friendly  greeting : 

"  A  good  night  and  a  good  drink  to  you,  Charcoal- 
burner." 

"  A  good  night  to  you,  and  a  lively  husband  !  "  Claes 
would  reply. 

And  sometimes  the  girls,  trooping  home  together  from 
their  work  in  the  fields,  would  line  up  in  front  of  him  right 
across  the  road,  barring  his  way. 

"  What  will  you  give  us  for  the  right  of  passage  ?  "  they 
would  cry.  "  A  scarlet  ribbon,  a  buckle  of  gold,  a  pair  of 
velvet  slippers,  or  a  florin  piece  for  alms  ?  " 

But  Claes,  holding  one  of  the  girls  fast  by  the  waist, 
would  give  her  a  hearty  kiss  on  her  fresh  cheek  or  on  her 
neck,  just  whichever  happened  to  be  nearest,  and  thenjie 
would  say  : 

"  You  must  ask  the  rest,  my  dears,  of  your  sweethearts." 

And  off  they  would  go  amidst  peals  of  laughter. 

As  for  the  children,  they  always  recognized  Claes  by  his 
loud  voice  and  by  the  noise  his  clogs  made  on  the  road,  and 
they  would  run  up  to  him  and  cry : 

"  Good  evening,  Charcoal-burner." 

"  The  same  to  you,  my  little  angels,"  he  would  answer ; 
"  but  come  no  nearer,  lest  perchance  I  turn  you  into 
blackamoors." 

But  the  children  were  bold,  and  oftentimes  would  make 
the  venture.  Then  Claes  would  seize  one  of  them  by  the 
doublet,  and  rubbing  his  blackened  hands  up  and  down  the 

7 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

little  fellow's  nose,  would  send  him  off  all  sooty,  but  laughing 
just  the  same,  to  the  huge  delight  of  the  others. 

Soetkin,  wife  of  Claes,  was  a  good  wife  and  mother.  She 
was  up  with  the  dawn,  and  worked  as  diligently  as  any  ant. 
She  and  Claes  laboured  together  in  the  field,  yoking  themselves 
to  the  plough  as  though  they  had  been  oxen.  It  was  hard 
work  dragging  it  along,  but  even  the  plough  was  not  so  heavy 
as  the  harrow,  that  rustic  implement  whose  task  it  was  to 
tear  up  the  hardened  earth  with  teeth  of  wood.  But  Claes 
and  his  wife  worked  always  with  a  gay  heart,  and  enlivened 
themselves  with  singing.  And  in  vain  was  the  earth  hard,  in 
vain  did  the  sun  hurl  down  on  them  his  hottest  beams,  in  vain 
were  their  knees  stiffened  with  bending  and  their  loins  tired 
with  the  cruel  effort  of  dragging  the  harrow  along,  for  they 
had  only  to  stop  a  moment  while  Soetkin  turned  to  Claes  her 
gentle  face,  and  while  Claes  kissed  that  mirror  of  a  gentle  heart, 
and  straightway  they  forgot  how  tired  they  were. 


Now  the  previous  day,  the  town  crier  had  given  notice 
from  before  the  Town  Hall  that  Madame,  the  wife  of  the 
Emperor  Charles,  being  near  the  time  of  her  delivery,  it 
behoved  the  people  to  say  prayers  on  her  behalf. 

Katheline  came  to  Claes  in  a  great  state  of  excitement. 

"  Whatever  is  the  matter,  my  good  woman  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Alas  !  "  she  cried,  catching  her  breath,  "  behold  ! 
This  night  the  ghosts  are  mowing  men  down  like  grass. 
Little  girls  are  being  buried  alive.  The  executioner  is  dancing 
on  the  body  of  the  dead.  And  broken,  this  night,  is  that 
Stone  which  has  been  sweating  blood  these  nine  months  past 
and  more !  " 

"  Mercy  on  us ! "  groaned  Soetkin.  "  Mercy  on  us,  O 
Lord  !  This  is  a  black  omen  indeed  for  the  land  of  Flanders." 

"  Do  you  see  these  things  with  your  own  eyes  wide  awake, 
or  perchance  in  a  dream  ?  "  Claes  asked  her. 
8 


CLAES  AND  SOETKIN 


Katheline  s  Prophecy 

"  With  my  own  eyes,"  Katheline  told  him.     And  then 
all  pale  and  tearful,  she  continued  in  these  words : 

"  To-night  two  children  are  born  :  the  one  in  Spain — the 
infant  Philip — and  the  other  in  this  land  of  Flanders — the 
son  of  Claes,  he  that  later  on  shall  be  known  by  the  name  of 
Ulenspiegel.  Philip  will  grow  up  to  be  a  common  hangman, 
being  the  child  of  the  Emperor  Charles  the  Fifth,  the  destroyer 
of  our  country.  But  Ulenspiegel  will  be  a  master  of  the  merry 
words  and  frolics  of  youth,  yet  good  of  heart  withal,  having 
for  his  father  Claes,  the  brave  working  man  that  knows 
how  to  earn  his  own  living  with  courage,  honesty,  and  gentle- 
ness. Charles  the  Emperor  and  Philip  the  King  will  go 
riding  their  way  through  life,  doing  evil  by  battle,  extortion, 
and  other  crimes.  But  Claes,  working  hard  all  the  week, 
living  according  to  right  and  according  to  law,  and  laughing 
at  his  laborious  lot  instead  of  being  cast  down  thereby,  will 
be  the  model  of  all  the  good  workpeople  of  Flanders.  Ulen- 
spiegel, young  and  immortal,  will  ramble  over  the  world  and 
never  settle  in  one  place.  And  he  will  be  peasant,  nobleman, 
painter,  sculptor,  all  in  one.  And  he  will  continue  his 
wanderings  hither  and  thither,  lauding  things  beautiful  and 
good,  and  laughing  stupidity  to  scorn.  Claes,  then,  O  noble 
people  of  Flanders,  is  your  courage  ;  Soetkin  your  valiant 
motherhood ;  Ulenspiegel  your  soul.  A  sweet  and  gentle 
maiden,  lover  of  Ulenspiegel  and  immortal  like  him,  shall  be 
your  heart ;  and  Lamme  Goedzak,  with  his  pot-belly,  shall  be 
your  stomach.  And  up  aloft  shall  stand  the  devourers  of 
the  people ;  and  beneath  them  their  victims.  On  high  the 
thieving  hornets ;  and  below  the  busy  bees.  While^in 
heaven  bleed  for  evermore  the  wounds  of  Christ." 

And  when  she  had  thus  spoken,  Katheline,  the  kindly 
sorceress,  went  to  sleep. 

VI 

One  day  Claes  caught  a  large  salmon,  and  on  the  Sunday 
he  and  Soetkin  and  Katheline  and  the  little  Ulenspiegel  had 

9 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

it  for  their  dinner.  But  Katheline  only  ate  enough  to  satisfy 
a  sparrow. 

"  How  now,  mother  ?  "  said  Claes.  "  What  has  happened 
to  the  air  of  Flanders  ?  Has  it  suddenly  grown  solid,  so 
that  to  breathe  it  is  as  nourishing  as  a  plate  of  beef  ?  Why, 
if  such  were  the  case,  I  suppose  you  will  be  telling  me  that 
the  rain  is  as  good  as  soup,  and  the  hail  like  beans,  and  the 
snow  some  sort  of  celestial  fricassee,  fit  cheer  for  a  poor 
traveller  ?  " 

But  Katheline  shook  her  head,  and  said  not  a  word. 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Claes,  "  our  mother  is  in  the  dumps  it 
seems  !  What  can  it  be  that  grieves  her  so  ?  " 

But  Katheline  spake  as  follows,  in  a  voice  that  was  like  a 
breath  of  wind : 

"  The  wicked  night  falls  blackly.  He  tells  of  his  coming 
from  afar,  screaming  like  the  sea-eagle.  I  tremble,  and  pray 
to  Our  Lady — all  in  vain.  For  the  Night  knows  neither  walls 
nor  hedges,  neither  doors  nor  windows.  Everywhere,  like  a 
spirit,  he  finds  a  way  in.  The  ladder  creaks.  The  Night  has 
entered  into  the  loft  where  I  am  sleeping.  The  Night  seizes 
me  in  arms  that  are  cold  and  hard  as  marble.  His  face  is 
frozen,  and  his  kisses  like  damp  snow.  The  whole  cottage 
seems  to  be  tossed  about  over  the  earth,  riding  like  a  ship  at 
sea.  .  .  ." 

Claes  said  :  "  I  would  counsel  you  to  go  every  morning  to 
Mass,  that  our  Lord  Christ  may  give  you  strength  to  chase 
away  this  phantom  from  hell." 

"  He  is  so  beautiful !  "  said  Katheline. 

VII 

Ulenspiegel  was  weaned,  and  began  to  grow  like  a  young 
poplar.  And  soon  Claes  gave  up  caressing  him,  but  loved 
him  in  a  roughish  manner,  fearing  to  make  a  milksop  of  him. 
And  when  Ulenspiegel  came  home  complaining  that  he  had 
got  the  worst  of  it  in  some  boyish  affray,  Claes  would  give 

10 


UlenspiegeTs  Education 

him  a  beating  because,  forsooth,  he  had  not  beaten  the 
others.  And  with  such  an  education  Ulenspiegel  grew  up  as 
valiant  as  a  young  lion. 

When  Claes  was  from  home,  Ulenspiegel  would  ask  his 
mother  to  give  him  a  Hard  with  which  he  might  go  out  and 
amuse  himself.  Soetkin  would  grow  angry,  and  ask  why  he 
wanted  to  go  out  for  amusement — he  would  do  better  to 
stay  at  home  and  tie  up  faggots.  And  when  he  saw  that  she 
was  not  going  to  give  him  anything,  the  boy  would  start 
yelling  like  an  eagle,  while  Soetkin  made  a  great  clatter  with 
the  pots  and  pans  that  she  was  washing  in  the  wooden  tub, 
pretending  that  she  did  not  hear  his  noise.  Then  Ulenspiegel 
would  fall  to  weeping,  and  the  gentle  mother  would  stop  her 
pretence  at  harshness,  and  would  come  and  kiss  him. 

"  Will  a  denier  be  enough  for  you  ?  "  she  would  say. 

Now  it  should  be  noted  that  a  denier  is  equal  to  six  Hards. 

Thus  did  his  mother  dote  on  Ulenspiegel  even  to  excess  ; 
and  when  Claes  was  not  there,  he  was  king  in  the  house. 

VIII 

One  morning  Soetkin  saw  Claes  pacing  up  and  down  the 
kitchen  with  head  bent,  like  a  man  lost  in  thought. 

"  Whatever  is  the  matter  with  you,  my  man  ?  "  she  asked 
him.  "  You  are  pale,  and  you  look  angry  and  distracted." 

Claes  answered  her  in  a  low  voice,  like  a  dog  growling. 

"  The  Emperor  is  about  to  reissue  those  cursed  placards. 
Death  once  again  is  hovering  over  the  land  of  Flanders. 
The  Informers  are  to  have  one  half  of  the  property  of  their 
victims,  if  so  be  that  such  property  doesjiot  exceed  the  value 
of  one  hundred  florins." 

"  We  are  poor,"  Soetkin  said. 

"  Not  poor  enough,"  Claes  answered.  "  Evil  folk  there 
are — crows  and  corpse-devouring  vultures — who  would  as 
readily  denounce  us  to  the  Emperor  for  half  a  sackful  of 
coal  as  for  half  a  sackful  of  florins.  WTiat  had  she,  poor  old 

II 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Widow  Tanneken  that  was  wife  to  Sis  the  tailor,  she  that  was 
buried  alive  at  Heyst  ?  Nothing  but  a  Latin  Bible,  three 
gold  florins,  and  a  few  household  utensils  of  English  pewter. 
But  they  were  coveted  by  a  neighbour.  Then  there  was 
Joanna  Martens  whom  they  burnt  as  a  witch  after  she  had 
been  thrown  into  the  water,  for  her  body  did  not  sink  and 
they  held  it  for  a  sign  of  sorcery.  She  had  a  few  miserable 
pieces  of  furniture  and  seven  gold  pieces  in  a  bag,  and  the 
Informer  wanted  his  half  of  them.  Alas  !  I  could  go  on  till 
to-morrow  morning  giving  you  instances  of  the  same  kind. 
But  to  cut  a  long  story  short,  Mother,  life's  no  longer  worth 
living  in  Flanders,  and  all  on  account  of  these  placards.  Soon 
every  night-time  the  death-cart  will  be  passing  through  the 
town,  and  we  shall  hear  the  arid  click  of  bones  as  the  skeletons 
shake  in  the  wind." 

Soetkin  said  :  "  You  ought  not  to  try  and  frighten  me, 
my  man.  The  Emperor  is  the  father  of  Flanders  and  Brabant, 
and  as  such  he  is  endowed  with  long-suffering,  gentleness, 
patience,  and  pity." 

"  He  would  be  obliged  to  renounce  too  much  if  he  were 
all  that,"  Claes  answered,  "  for  he  has  inherited  a  great 
amount  of  confiscated  property." 

At  that  very  moment  the  sound  of  a  trumpet  was  heard, 
and  the  clash  of  the  Heralds'  cymbals.  Claes  and  Soetkin, 
carrying  Ulenspiegel  in  their  arms  by  turns,  rushed  out 
towards  where  the  sound  came  from,  and  with  them  went  a 
great  concourse  of  people.  They  came  to  the  Town  Hall,  in 
front  of  which  stood  the  Heralds  on  horseback,  blowing  their 
trumpets  and  sounding  their  cymbals,  and  the  Provost  with 
his  staff  of  justice,  and  the  Town  Proctor,  also  on  horseback 
and  holding  in  his  hands  the  Imperial  Edict  which  he  was 
preparing  to  read  out  to  the  assembled  multitude. 

Claes  heard  every  word,  how  "  that  it  was  once  again 
forbidden  to  all  and  sundry  to  print,  read,  to  possess  or  to 
defend,  the  writings,  books  or  doctrines  of  Martin  Luther,  of 

12 


An  Imperial  Edict 

John  Wycliffe,  John  Hus,  Marcilius  de  Padua,  ^Ecolampadius, 
Ulricus  Zwynglius,  Philip  Melancthon,  Franciscus  Lambertus, 
Joannes  Pomeranus,  Otto  Brunselsius,  Justus  Jonas,  Joannes 
Puperis,  and  Gorciamus  ;  as  well  as  any  copies  of  the  New 
Testament  printed  by  Adrien  de  Berghes,  Christophe  de 
Remonda,  and  Joannes  Xel,  which  books  were  full  of  Lutheran 
and  other  kinds  of  heresy,  and  had  been  condemned  and 
rejected  by  the  Doctors  of  Theology  at  the  University  of 
Louvain. 

"  Likewise  and  in  the  same  manner  it  was  forbidden  to 
paint,  portray  or  cause  to  be  painted  or  portrayed  any 
opprobrious  paintings  or  figures  of  God,  or  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary,  or  of  the  saints  ;  or  to  break,  destroy  or  deface 
the  images  or  pictures  made  to  the  honour,  remembrance  or 
recollection  of  God,  the  Virgin  Mary,  or  of  the  saints  recog- 
nized by  the  Church. 

"  Furthermore,"  said  the  placard,  "  no  one,  whatever  his 
position  in  life,  should  presume  to  discuss  or  dispute  con- 
cerning Holy  Writ,  even  in  regard  to  matters  admittedly 
doubtful,  unless  he  were  a  theologian,  well  known  and 
approved  by  some  established  university. 

"  His  Sacred  Majesty  decreed,  among  other  penalties,  that 
suspected  persons  should  not  be  allowed  to  carry  on  any 
honourable  occupation.  And  as  for  men  who  had  fallen 
again  into  error,  or  who  were  obstinate  in  the  same,  they 
should  be  condemned  to  be  burnt  by  fire,  slow  or  fast,  either 
in  a  covering  of  straw,  or  else  bound  to  a  stake,  according  to 
the  discretion  of  the  judge.  Others,  if  they  were  men  of 
noble  or  of  gentle  birth,  were  to  be  executed  at  the  point 
of  the  sword,  while  working  people  were  to  be  hung,  and  the 
women  buried  alive.  Afterwards  their  heads  were  to  be 
fixed  on  the  top  of  poles  for  an  example.  The  property  of  all 
the  aforesaid,  in  so  far  as  it  was  situate  in  places  subject  to 
confiscation,  was  to  be  made  over  to  the  benefit  of  the 
Emperor. 

13 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  To  the  Informers  His  Sacred  Majesty  gave  one  half  of 
all  the  property  of  the  dead,  provided  that  such  property  did 
not  exceed,  on  any  one  occasion,  a  hundred  pounds  gross  in 
Flemish  money.  As  for  the  half  that  went  to  the  Emperor, 
he  would  reserve  it  for  works  of  piety  and  mercy,  as  was  done 
in  the  case  of  the  confiscations  at  Rome." 

And  Claes  went  away  sadly,  with  Soetkin  and  Ulenspiegel. 

IX 

Once  again  did  Soetkin  bear  under  her  girdle  the  sign  of 
approaching  motherhood  ;  and  Katheline  also  was  in  a  like 
condition.  But  she  was  afraid,  and  never  ventured  out  of  her 
house. 

When  Soetkin  went  to  see  her,  "  Alas  !  "  said  Katheline, 
"  what  shall  I  do  ?  Must  I  smother  the  ill-starred  fruit  of 
my  womb  ?  I  would  rather  die  myself.  And  yet  if  the 
Sergeant  summons  me  for  having  a  child  without  being 
married,  they  will  make  me  pay  twenty  florins  like  a  girl 
of  no  reputation,  and  I  shall  be  flogged  in  the  ^Market 
Square." 

Soetkin  consoled  and  comforted  her  as  sweetly  as  she 
could,  then  left  her,  and  returned  thoughtfully  home. 

One  day  she  said  to  Claes  : 

"  If  I  brought  two  children  into  the  world  instead  of  one, 
would  you  be  angry  ?  Would  you  beat  me,  my  man  f  " 

"  That  I  cannot  say,"  Glaes  answered. 

"  But  if  the  second  were  not  really  mine,  but  turned  out 
to  be  like  this  child  of  Katheline's,  the  offspring  of  some  one 
unknown — the  devil  maybe  ?  " 

"  Devils  beget  fire,  death,  smoke,"  Claes  replied,  "  but 
children — no.  Yet  will  I  take  for  my  own  the  child  of 
Katheline." 

"  You  will  ?  "  cried  Soetkin.     "  You  really  will  ?  " 

"  I  have  said  it,"  Claes  replied. 

Soetkin  hurried  off  to  tell  Katheline  the  news,  who  when 


The  Birth  of  Net* 

she  heard  it  could  not  contain  her  delight,  but  cried  aloud 
with  joy. 

"  He  has  spoken,  the  good  man,  and  his  words  are  the 
salvation  of  my  body.  He  will  be  blessed  by  God — and 
blessed  by  the  devil  as  well,  if  really  " — and  she  trembled  as 
she  spoke  the  words — "  if  really  it  is  the  devil  who  is  father  to 
the  little  one  that  begins  to  stir  beneath  my  breast !  " 

And  in  due  time  Soetkin  and  Katheline  brought  into  the 
world,  the  one  a  baby  boy  and  the  other  a  baby  girl.  Both 
were  brought  to  baptism  as  the  children  of  Claes.  Soetkin's 
son  was  christened  Hans,  and  did  not  live.  But  Katheline's 
daughter,  who  was  christened  Nele,  grew  up  finely. 

She  drank  of  the  liquor  of  life  from  a  fourfold  flagon. 
Two  of  the  flagons  belonged  to  Katheline,  and  two  were 
Soetkin's.  And  there  was  many  a  sweet  dispute  as  to  whose 
turn  it  was  to  give  the  child  to  drink.  But  much  against  her 
will,  Katheline  was  obliged  to  let  her  milk  dry  up,  lest  ques- 
tions should  be  asked  as  to  where  it  came  from,  and  she  no 
mother.  .  .  . 

But  when  the  little  Nele,  that  was  her  daughter,  was 
weaned,  then  Katheline  took  her  home  to  live  with  her,  nor 
did  she  let  her  go  back  to  Soetkin  except  when  Nele  called 
for  her  "  mother." 

The  neighbours  said  that  it  was  a  right  and  natural  thing 
to  do  for  Katheline  to  look  after  the  child  of  Claes  and 
Soetkin.  For  they  were  needy  and  poverty-stricken,  whereas 
Katheline  was  comparatively  well  off. 

X 

One  day  Soetkin  said  to  Claes  : 

"  Husband,  I  am  heart-broken.  This  is  now  the  third 
day  that  Tyl  has  been  away.  Know  you  not  where  he  is  ?  " 

Claes  answered  her  sadly : 

"  He  is  with  all  the  others,  roving  vagabonds  like  himself, 
on  the  high  road.  Verily,  it  was  cruel  of  God  to  give  us 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

such  a  son.  When  he  was  born  I  thought  of  him  as  the  joy 
of  our  old  age,  and  as  another  help  in  our  house,  for  I  hoped 
to  make  a  good  workman  of  him.  But  now  some  evil  chance 
hath  turned  him  into  a  thief  and  a  good-for-nothing." 

"  You  are  too  hard  on  him,  my  man,"  said  Soetkin. 
"  He  is  our  son,  and  he  is  but  nine  years  old,  and  filled  with 
childish  folly.  It  is  needful  that  he  also,  like  the  trees  of  the 
field,  should  let  fall  his  husks  by  the  wayside  ere  he  decks 
himself  with  the  full  foliage  of  virtue  and  honesty.  He  is 
mischievous  ;  I  do  not  deny  it.  But  later  on  this  spirit  of 
his  will  be  turned  to  good  account,  if  instead  of  driving  him 
to  tricks  and  frolics  it  is  put  to  some  useful  purpose.  He 
makes  fun  of  the  neighbours ;  true.  But  one  day  you  will 
find  him  take  his  rightful  place  in  the  midst  of  a  circle  of  gay 
and  happy  friends.  He  is  always  laughing  and  frivolous  ; 
yes,  but  a  young  face  that  is  too  serious  bodes  ill  for  the 
future.  And  if  he  is  always  running  about,  it  is  because  his 
growing  body  needs  to  be  exercised  ;  and  if  he  is  idle  and 
does  no  work,  it  is  because  he  is  not  yet  old  enough  to  feel  the 
duty  of  labour.  And  if,  now  and  then,  he  does  stay  away  from 
us  for  half  a  week  at  a  time,  it  is  only  because  he  fails  to 
realize  the  grief  he  causes  us ;  for  he  has  a  good  heart,  husband, 
and  at  bottom  he  loves  us." 

Claes  shook  his  head  and  said  nothing,  and  went  to  sleep, 
leaving  Soetkin  to  her  lonely  tears.  And  she,  in  the  morning, 
afraid  lest  her  son  had  fallen  sick  upon  the  road,  went  out  and 
stood  at  the  cottage  doorstep  to  see  if  he  were  coming  back. 
But  there  was  no  sign  of  him,  and  she  came  back  into  the 
cottage,  and  sat  by  the  window,  gazing  out  all  the  time  into 
the  street.  And  many  a  time  did  her  heart  dance  within 
her  bosom  at  the  light  footfall  of  some  urchin  that  she  thought 
might  be  her  own  ;  but  when  the  sound  passed  by,  and  she 
knew  that  it  was  not  Ulenspiegel,  then  she  wept,  poor  mother 
that  she  was. 

Ulenspiegel,  meanwhile,  with  the  fellow-scamps  that 
16 


At  Bruges  Market 

bore  him  company,  was  away  at  Bruges,  at  the  Saturday 
market. 

There  were  to  be  seen  the  shoemakers  and  the  cobblers, 
each  in  his  separate  stall,  the  tailors  selling  suits  of  clothes, 
the  miesevangers  from  Antwerp  (they  that  snare  tom-tits  by 
night  with  the  aid  of  an  owl )  ;  and  the  poulterers  too,  and 
the  rascally  dog-fanciers,  and  sellers  of  catskins  that  are 
made  into  gloves,  and  of  breast-pads  and  doublets  :  buyers 
too  of  every  kind,  townsmen  and  townswomen,  valets, 
servants,  pantlers  and  butlers,  and  cooks,  male  and  female,  all 
together,  buying  and  selling,  each  according  to  his  quality 
shouting  his  wares,  crying  up  or  crying  down,  with  every 
trick  of  the  trade. 

Now  in  one  corner  of  the  market-place  stood  a  wonderful 
tent  made  of  cloth,  raised  aloft  on  four  piles.  At  the  door  of 
the  tent  was  a  peasant  from  the  level  land  of  Alost,  and  by  his 
side  two  monks  begged  for  alms.  For  the  sum  of  one  patard 
the  peasant  offered  to  show  to  the  curious  or  devout  a  genuine 
piece  of  the  shoulder-bone  of  St.  Mary  of  Egypt.  There  he 
was,  yelling  out  in  his  broken  voice  the  merits  of  the  saint, 
and  not  omitting  from  his  song  that  tale  which  tells  how  she, 
being  without  money,  paid  the  young  ferryman  in 'the  beauti- 
ful coinage  of  Nature  herself,  lest  by  refusing  a  workman  his 
due  she  might  be  guilty  of  sin.  And  all  the  while  the  two 
monks  kept  nodding  their  heads,  as  much  as  to  say  that  it 
was  Gospel  truth  that  the  peasant  was  speaking.  And  at 
their  side  was  a  fat,  red-faced  woman,  as  lewd-looking  as 
Astarte,  blowing  a  raucous  bagpipe,  while  at  her  side  a  young 
girl  sang  in  a  voice  sweet  as  a  bird's,  though  no  one  heeded 
her.  Now  above  the  door  of  the  tent,  and  swung  between 
two  poles  by  a  cord  fastened  to  either  handle,  was  a  tub  of 
Holy  Water  which  the  fat  woman  affirmed  had  been  brought 
from  Rome  ;  and  the  two  monks  lolled  their  heads  backwards 
and  forwards  in  confirmation  or  what  she  said.  Ulenspiegel, 
looking  at  the  tub,  grew  suddenly  thoughtful. 

B  17 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

For  to  one  of  the  posts  of  the  tent  was  tied  a  donkey — 
a  donkey  that  to  all  appearance  was  wont  to  feed  on  hay  rather 
than  on  oats.  For  its  head  was  down,  and  it  scanned  the 
earth  in  futile  hopes  of  seeing  but  a  thistle  growing  there. 

"  Comrades,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  pointing  to  the  fat  old 
woman,  the  two  monks,  and  the  melancholy  donkey,  "  since 
the  masters  play  so  well,  let  us  also  make  the  donkey  dance." 

And  so  saying  he  went  to  a  stall  close  by  and  purchased 
six  Hards'  worth  of  pepper.  Then  he  lifted  up  the  tail  of  the 
donkey,  and  placed  the  pepper  underneath  it. 

When  the  donkey  began  to  feel  the  sting  of  the  pepper,  he 
cast  his  eye  backwards  under  his  tail,  endeavouring  to  discover 
the  cause  of  the  unaccustomed  heat.  Thinking  that  it  must 
be  at  the  least  some  fiery  devil  from  hell,  the  donkey  con- 
ceived the  not  unnatural  desire  to  run  away  and  escape  him  ; 
so  he  began  to  bray  as  loud  as  he  could,  and  to  kick  up  his 
heels,  and  to  shake  the  post  with  all  his  strength.  At  the 
first  shock,  the  tub  hanging  between  the  two  poles  tipped 
over,  and  the  holy  water  ran  about  over  the  tent  and  over 
those  that  were  inside.  And  soon  the  tent  itself  collapsed, 
covering  with  a  dripping  mantle  all  those  who  were  listening 
to  the  wondrous  tale  of  St.  Mary  of  Egypt.  And  Ulenspiegel 
and  his  comrades  could  hear  a  mighty  noise  issuing  from 
beneath  the  tent,  a  noise  of  moaning  and  lamentation.  For 
the  devout  folk  that  were  within  began  to  accuse  one  another 
of  having  overturned  the  tub,  and  presently  grew  red  with 
rage,  and  fell  upon  each  other  with  many  furious  blows. 
The  tent  began  to  bulge  here  and  there  above  the  frantic 
efforts  of  the  combatants.  And  each  time  that  Ulenspiegel 
descried  some  rounded  form  outlined  through  the  cloth  of  the 
tent,  he  went  and  gave  it  a  prick  with  a  pin.  This  was  the 
signal  for  new  and  louder  cries,  and  for  fiercer  and  more 
general  fisticuffs. 

Ulenspiegel  was  delighted,  and  soon  he  was  to  become 
even  more  so,  when  he  saw  the  donkey  begin  to  run  away, 
18 


The  Son  of  the  Emperor 

dragging  behind  him  tent,  tub,  tent-posts  and  all,  while  the 
master  of  the  tent,  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  hung  on  behind 
the  baggage.  At  last  the  donkey,  being  able  to  go  no  farther, 
raised  his  nose  in  the  air,  and  gave  vent  to  bray  after  bray,  a 
music  that  only  ceased  at  those  moments  when  he  was  looking 
back  under  his  tail  to  see  if  the  fire  that  still  raged  there  would 
not  soon  go  out. 

All  this  time,  the  devout  assembly  in  the  tent  were  still 
a-fighting.  But  the  two  monks,  without  troubling  at  all 
about  what  was  going  on  inside,  began  to  gather  up  the  money 
that  had  fallen  from  the  collection-plate,  and  Ulenspiegel 
assisted  them  devotedly,  but  not  without  some  profit  to 
himself.  .  .  . 

XI 

Now  all  this  time  that  the  vagabond  son  of  the  charcoal- 
burner  was  growing  up  in  merriment  and  mischief,  the  moody 
scion  of  His  Sacred  Majesty  the  Emperor  was  vegetating  like 
a  weed  in  moody  melancholy.  The  Lords  and  Ladies  of  the 
Court  used  to  watch  him  as  he  mouched  along  the  rooms  and 
passages  of  the  palace  at  Valladolid,  a  frail,  pitiful  specimen 
of  humanity,  with  legs  that  shook  and  scarce  seemed  able  to 
support  the  weight  of  the  big  head  that  was  covered  with 
stiff  blond  hair. 

He  loved  to  haunt  dark  corridors,  and  he  would  stay 
sitting  there  whole  hours  together,  with  his  legs  stretched  out 
in  front  of  him,  hoping  that  some  valet  or  other  might  trip 
over  them  by  mistake  ;  then  he  would  have  the  fellow 
flogged  ;  for  he  took  pleasure  in  listening  to  his  cries  under 
the  lash.  But  he  never  laughed. 

Another  day  he  would  select  some  other  corridor  in  which 
to  lay  a  similar  trap,  and  once  again  he  would  sit  himself 
down  with  his  legs  stretched  out  in  front  of  him.  Then 
one  of  the  Ladies  of  the  Court,  mayhap,  or  one  of  the  Lords 
or  pages,  would  stumble  across  him  ;  and  if  they  fell  down 
and  hurt  themselves,  he  took  delight  in  their  discomfiture. 

19 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel     . 

But  he  never  laughed.  And  if  by  chance  any  one  knocked 
against  him  but  did  not  fall  down,  he  would  cry  out  as  if  he 
had  been  struck.  He  liked  to  see  the  other's  fright.  But 
he  never  laughed. 

His  Sacred  Majesty  was  informed  of  these  goings-on,  and 
he  commanded  that  no  notice  should  be  taken  of  the  child, 
saying  that  if  his  son  did  not  want  people  to  walk  over  his 
legs  he  should  not  place  his  legs  in  a  position  where  they  were 
liable  to  be  walked  over.  Philip  was  angry  at  this,  but  he 
said  nothing  and  was  no  more  seen,  till  one  fine  summer  day 
when  he  went  out  into  the  courtyard  to  warm  his  shivering 
body  in  the  sun. 

Charles,  riding  back  from  the  war,  saw  his  son  thus 
brewing  his  melancholy. 

"  How  now  ?  "  cried  the  Emperor.  "  What  a  difference 
there  is  between  us  two,  my  son  !  At  your  age  I  loved 
nothing  better  than  to  go  climbing  trees  after  squirrels.  Or, 
with  the  aid  of  a  rope,  to  clamber  down  some  steep  cliff  to 
take  young  eagles  out  of  their  nests.  I  might  easily  have 
broken  my  bones  at  the  game  ;  but  they  only  grew  the  harder. 
And  when  I  went  out  hunting,  the  deer  fled  into  the  thickets 
at  sight  of  me,  armed  with  my  trusty  arquebus." 

"  Ah,  my  Lord  Father,"  sighed  the  child,  "  but  you  see, 
I  have  the  stomach-ache." 

"  For  that,"  said  Charles,  "  good  wine  from  Paxarete 
is  a  most  certain  remedy." 

"  I  don't  like  wine.   I  have  a  headache,  my  Lord  Father." 

"  Then  you  should  run  and  jump  and  play  about  like  other 
children  of  your  age." 

"  I  have  stiff  legs,  my  Lord  Father." 

"  And  how  should  it  be  otherwise,"  said  Charles,  "  see- 
ing that  you  make  no  more  use  of  them  than  if  they  were  of 
wood  ?  But  you  shall  go  riding  on  a  high-mettled  horse." 

The  child  began  to  cry. 

"  Oh  no,  for  mercy's  sake !     I  have  a  pain  in  my  back !  " 

20 


Philip  the  Pious 

"  Come,  come,"  said  Charles,  "  are  you  ill  everywhere 
then  ?  ': 

"  I  should  not  be  ill  at  all,"  answered  the  child,  "  if 
only  they  would  let  me  alone." 

"  Do  you  think  to  pass  your  royal  life  away  in  dreams  like 
a  scholar  ?  "  the  Emperor  asked  impatiently.  "  Such  people 
as  that,  if  indeed  it  be  necessary  for  the  inking  of  their  parch- 
ments, may  rightly  seek  out  silence,  solitude,  retirement 
from  the  world.  But  for  thee,  son  of  the  sword,  I  would 
desire  warm  blood,  a  lynx's  eye,  a  fox's  craft,  and  the  strength 
of  Hercules.  Why  do  you  cross  yourself  F  Blood  of  God  ! 
What  should  a  lion's  cub  be  doing  with  this  mimicry  of 
women  at  their  prayers  !  " 

"  Hark  !  It  is  the  Angelus,  my  Lord  Father,"  answered 
the  child. 

XII 

May  and  June  that  year  were  in  very  truth  the  months  of 
flowers.  Never  had  Flanders  known  the  hawthorn  so 
fragrant,  never  the  gardens  so  gay  with  roses,  jasmine,  and 
honeysuckle.  And  when  the  wind  blew  eastwards  frorr 
England  it  carried  with  it  the  breath  of  all  this  flowery  land, 
and  the  people,  at  Antwerp  and  elsewhere,  sniffed  the  air 
joyfully  and  cried  aloud  : 

"  How  good  the  scent  of  the  wind  that  blows  from 
Flanders  !  " 

Then  it  was  that  the  bees  were  busy  sucking  honey  from 
the  flowers,  making  wax,  and  laying  their  eggs  within  the 
hives  that  were  all  too  small  to  house  the  swarms.  What 
workman's  music  they  made,  under  that  canopy  of  azure  sky 
that  was  spread  so  dazzlingly  over  the  rich  earth ! 

The  hives  were  made  of  rushes,  straw,  osiers  or  of  wattled 
hay.  And  there  the  bees,  like  clever  basket-makers,  lined 
and  tunnelled  the  hives  with  their  beautifully  fitting  tools. 
And  as  for  the  bread-makers,  this  long  time  past  their 
numbers  were  scarce  sufficient  for  the  work  they  had  to  do. 

21 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

In  a  single  swarm  there  would  be  as  many  as  three  thousand 
bees  and  two  thousand  seven  hundred  drones  !  The  quality 
of  the  comb  was  so  exquisite  that  the  Dean  of  Damme 
dispatched  eleven  combs  to  the  Emperor  Charles  out  of 
gratitude  for  the  new  edicts  that  had  revived  in  Flanders  the 
earlier  vigour  of  the  Holy  Inquisition.  It  was  Philip,  forsooth, 
that  ate  them  all ;  but  little  good  did  they  do  him  ! 

But  in  Flanders,  the  rascals  of  the  roads,  the  beggars  and 
vagabonds  and  all  that  lazy  good-for-nothing  crowd  who 
would  risk  hanging  rather  than  do  a  day's  work,  were  soon 
enticed  by  the  taste  of  the  honey  to  come  along  and  steal 
their  share.  And  by  night  they  prowled  around  the  hives 
in  gangs.  Now  Claes  had  made  some  hives  for  the  purpose 
of  attracting  the  wandering  swarms  of  bees,  and  some  of 
these  hives  were  full  already,  but  there  were  others  that  stood 
empty  waiting  for  the  bees.  Claes  kept  watch  all  night  to 
guard  this  sugary  wealth  of  his  ;  and  when  he  was  tired  he 
asked  Ulenspiegel  to  take  his  place,  the  which  Ulenspiegel 
did  right  willingly. 

It  was  a  cold  night,  and  Ulenspiegel  to  avoid  the  chill 
took  refuge  in  one  of  the  hives,  curling  himself  up  inside, 
and  looking  out  from  two  openings  that  had  been  made  in 
the  roof  of  the  hive. 

Just  as  he  was  going  off  to  sleep,  he  heard  a  rustle  in  the 
bushy  hedge  near  by,  and  then  the  voices  of  two  men.  They 
were  thieves,  no  doubt,  and  peering  forth  from  the  openings 
aforesaid,  Ulenspiegel  saw  that  they  both  had  long  hair  and 
long  beards,  which  was  strange,  for  a  long  beard  is  usually 
the  sign  of  a  nobleman.  However,  the  two  men  went  peering 
from  hive  to  hive,  and  coming  at  last  to  the  one  in  which 
Ulenspiegel  was  hiding,  they  tried  its  weight,  and  then — 

"  Let  us  take  this  one,"  they  said.     "  It  is  the  heaviest." 

Whereupon  they  slung  it  up  between  them,  on  a  couple  of 
poles,  and  carried  it  off.  Ulenspiegel  did  not  at  all  fancy 
being  thus  carted  away  in  a  hive.  But  the  night  was  clear, 
22 


The  Adventure  of  the  Hive 

and  the  two  thieves  marched  along  with  never  a  word. 
When  they  had  gone  about  fifty  paces  they  would  stop  to 
take  breath,  and  then  set  off  again.  The  man  in  front 
grumbled  angrily  all  the  time  at  the  weight  of  his  burden. 
And  the  man  behind  whined  in  a  querulous  fashion.  Even 
so  are  there  always  to  be  found  two  sorts  of  idle  fellows  in 
this  world,  those  who  are  angry  at  having  to  work,  and  those 
who  merely  whine  at  having  to. 

Ulenspiegel,  since  there  seemed  nothing  else  to  do,  took 
hold  of  the  hair  of  the  man  in  front  and  gave  it  a  pull.  And 
he  did  the  same  to  the  beard  of  the  man  at  the  rear  ;  and  to 
such  purpose  that  the  two  men  soon  grew  annoyed  at  what 
was  happening,  and  Mr.  Angry  said  to  Mr.  Whining : 

"  Hi  there,  stop  pulling  my  hair,  you,  or  else  I'll  give 
you  such  a  whack  on  the  head  that  it'll  squash  down  into  your 
chest,  and  then  you'll  be  looking  out  of  your  two  sides  like  a 
thief  through  the  prison  grille  !  " 

"  I  should  never  think  of  doing  such  a  thing  as  to  pull  your 
hair,"  said  the  whiner.  "  But  what  are  you  doing  there, 
pulling  at  my  beard  ?  " 

To  which  Mr.  Angry  made  answer  : 

"  It  isn't  I  that  would  go  hunting  for  fleas  in  the  wool  of  a 
leper  !  " 

"  O  sir,"  said  the  whiner,  "  for  goodness'  sake  don't  go 
shaking  the  hive  about  like  this.  My  poor  arms  cannot 
support  it  any  longer." 

"  I  shall  shake  it  out  of  your  arms  altogether,"  said  the 
other.  Then  unloading  himself,  he  placed  the  hive  upon  the 
ground  and  fell  upon  his  companion.  And  so  they  fought 
together,  the  one  cursing,  and  the  other  crying  out  for  mercy. 

Ulenspiegel,  hearing  the  sound  of  blows,  came  out  from 
the  hive,  dragged  it  behind  him  into  the  wood  close  by,  and 
having  placed  it  where  he  could  find  it  again,  returned  to  Claes. 

And  thus  you  may  see  what  sort  of  a  profit  it  is  that 
thieves  derive  from  their  quarrels. 

23 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

XIII 

As  he  grew  up,  Ulenspiegel  acquired  the  habit  of  wander- 
ing about  among  the  fairs  and  markets  of  the  country-side, 
and  whenever  he  hit  upon  a  man  who  played  the  oboe,  the 
rebec,  or  the  bagpipes,  he  would  offer  him  a  patard  for  a 
lesson  in  the  art  of  making  those  instruments  to  sing. 

He  became  especially  accomplished  in  the  art  of  playing 
the  rommelpot,  an  instrument  which  is  constructed  out  of  a 
round  pot,  a  bladder,  and  a  straight  piece  of  straw.  And  this 
is  the  way  he  played  it.  First  of  all  he  moistened  the  bladder 
and  held  it  over  the  pot.  Then  he  drew  the  centre  of  the 
bladder  round  the  joint  of  a  straw  which  itself  was  attached 
to  the  bottom  of  the  pot.  Finally  he  stretched  the  bladder 
as  tightly  as  he  dared  over  the  sides  of  the  pot.  In  the 
morning,  when  the  bladder  was  dry,  it  sounded  like  a  tam- 
bourine when  struck,  and  if  one  rubbed  the  straw  it  gave 
forth  a  humming  sound  as  fine  in  tone  as  that  of  any  violin. 
And  Ulenspiegel,  with  his  musical  pot  that  played  music  like 
the  baying  of  a  mastiff,  went  out  with  the  other  children  on 
the  day  of  Epiphany  carrying  a  star  made  of  luminous  paper, 
and  singing  carols. 

Sometimes  an  artist  would  come  to  Damme  to  paint  the 
members  of  one  of  the  Guilds,  upon  their  knees.  Ulenspiegel 
was  always  anxious  to  see  how  the  artist  worked,  and  he  would 
beg  to  be  allowed  to  grind  the  colours  in  return  for  nothing 
but  a  slice  of  bread,  three  liards,  and  a  pint  of  ale.  But  while 
he  worked  away  at  the  grinding  he  would  carefully  study  the 
method  of  his  master.  When  the  artist  went  away  Ulen- 
spiegel would  endeavour  to  paint  pictures  like  him ;  and 
his  favourite  colour  was  scarlet.  In  this  way  he  tried  to 
paint  the  portraits  of  Claes,  of  Soetkin,  and  of  Katheline  and 
Nele,  as  well  as  those  of  the  pots  and  pans  in  the  kitchen. 
When  Claes  beheld  these  works  of  art  he  predicted  that  if 
only  he  worked  hard  enough  Ulenspiegel  would  one  day  be 

24 


Tyl  the  Artist 

able  to  earn  florins  by  the  dozen  for  painting  the  inscriptions 
on  the  festal  cars,  or  speel-wagen  as  they  are  called  in  Zeeland 
and  the  land  of  Flanders. 

Ulenspiegel  also  learnt  to  carve  in  wood  and  in  stone,  for 
once  a  master-mason  came  to  Damme  to  carve  a  stall  in  the 
choir  of  Notre  Dame.  And  this  stall  was  made  in  such  a 
way  that  the  Dean — who  was  an  old  man — could  sit  down 
when  he  so  desired,  yet  seem  to  all  appearance  as  if  he  were 
still  standing  upright. 

It  was  Ulenspiegel  too  who  made  the  first  carved  knife- 
handle  ever  used  by  the  people  of  Zeeland.  He  fashioned 
this  handle  in  the  form  of  a  cage.  Inside  was  a  death's  head 
that  moved  ;  and  above  it  a  hound  couchant.  And  this  was 
the  signification  :  "  Soul  true  till  death." 

Thus  it  was  that  Ulenspiegel  began  to  fulfil  the  prophecy 
that  Katheline  had  made  when  she  said  that  he  would  be 
painter,  sculptor,  workman,  nobleman,  all  in  one.  For  you 
must  know  that  from  father  to  son  the  family  of  Claes  bore 
arms  three  pint  pots  argent  au  naturel  on  a  ground,  bruinbier. 

But  Ulenspiegel  would  stick  to  no  one  profession,  and 
Claes  told  him  that  if  he  went  on  in  this  good-for-nothing  way 
he  would  chase  him  out  of  the  house. 

XIV 

On  his  return  from  the  wars,  the  Emperor  wanted  to  know 
why  his  son  Philip  was  not  there  to  welcome  him. 

The  Archbishop — the  royal  Governor — said  that  the  child 
had  refused  to  leave  his  solitude  and  the  books  which  were 
the  only  things  he  loved. 

The  Emperor  asked  where  he  was  to  be  found  at  the 
moment.  The  Governor  did  not  know  exactly,  but  said  they 
had  better  go  and  look  for  him  somewhere  where  it  was  dark. 
This  they  did. 

When  they  had  looked  through  a  good  number  of  rooms 
they  came  at  last  to  a  kind  of  closet,  unpaved  and  lit  only  by 

25 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

a  skylight.  There  they  found  a  stake  stuck  into  the  ground, 
and  a  dear  little  monkey  bound  to  the  stake  by  a  cord  round 
the  waist.  (Now  this  monkey  had  been  sent  from  the  Indies 
as  a  present  to  His  Highness  to  amuse  him  with  its  youthful 
gambols).  .  .  .  Round  the  bottom  of  the  stake  were  some 
smoking  sticks  still  glowing,  and  the  closet  was  rilled  with  a 
foul  smell  as  of  burning  hair. 

The  poor  animal  had  suffered  so  much  pain  while  being 
burnt  to  death  that  its  little  body  no  longer  looked  the  body 
of  a  living  animal,  but  seemed  rather  like  the  fragment  of 
some  root,  all  wrinkled  and  distorted.  And  its  mouth,  still 
open  with  the  death-cry,  was  filled  with  froth  mixed  with 
blood  ;  and  the  face  was  wet  with  tears. 

"  Who  has  done  this  ?  "  said  the  Emperor. 

The  Governor  did  not  dare  to  answer,  and  the  two  men 
stood  there  silent,  sad,  and  angry. 

All  at  once,  in  the  silence,  there  was  heard  a  sound  of 
feeble  coughing  that  came  from  a  corner  in  the  shadow 
behind  them.  His  Majesty  turned  and  beheld  Philip,  his  son, 
dressed  all  in  black,  sucking  an  orange. 

"  Don  Philip,"  he  said,  "  come   and  greet  your  father." 

The  child  did  not  move,  but  gazed  at  his  father  with  timid 
eyes  that  showed  no  spark  of  love. 

"  Is  it  you,"  asked  the  Emperor,  "  who  have  burnt  alive 
in  the  fire  this  little  animal  ?  " 

The  child  bowed  his  head. 

But  the  Emperor  :  "  If  you  have  been  cruel  enough  to  do 
such  a  deed,  at  least  be  brave  enough  to  own  up  to  it." 

The  child  made  no  answer. 

His  Majesty  seized  the  orange  from  the  child's  hands, 
threw  it  to  the  ground,  and  was  about  to  beat  his  son,  who  was 
shaking  with  terror,  when  the  Archbishop  restrained  him, 
whispering  in  his  ear  : 

"The  day  will  surely  come  when  His  Highness  shall 
prove  a  mighty  burner  of  heretics."  The  Emperor  smiled, 
26 


PHILIP  AND  THE  MONKEY 


Titus  Bibulus  Schnouffius 

and  the  two  of  them  went  away,  leaving  Philip  alone  with 
the  monkey. 

But  others  there  were,  not  monkeys,  that  were  destined 
to  meet  their  death  in  the  flames.  .  .  . 

XV 

November  was  come,  the  month  of  hail-storms,  when 
sufferers  from  cold  in  the  head  abandon  themselves  freely  to 
their  concerts  of  coughing  and  spitting.  This  also  is  the 
month  when  the  turnip-fields  are  filled  with  gangs  of  youths 
that  there  disport  themselves  and  steal  whatever  they  can,  to 
the  mighty  wrath  of  the  peasants,  who  try  in  vain  to  catch 
them,  chasing  after  them  with  sticks  and  pitchforks. 

Well,  on  an  evening  when  Ulenspiegel  was  returning  home 
from  one  of  these  raids,  he  heard  close  by,  in  a  corner  of  the 
hedgerow,  a  sound  as  of  groaning.  He  leant  down,  and  beheld 
a  dog  lying  stretched  out  on  the  stones. 

"  Hallo  !  "  he  cried.  "  Poor  little  beast !  What  are  you 
doing  out  here  so  late  at  night  ?  " 

He  patted  the  dog,  and  found  that  its  back  was  all  wet,  as 
though  some  one  had  been  trying  to  drown  it.  He  took  it  in 
his  arms  to  warm  it,  and  when  he  had  reached  home  he  said  : 

"  I  have  brought  back  a  wounded  animal.  What  shall 
we  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Dress  its  wounds,"  said  Claes. 

Ulenspiegel  laid  the  dog  on  the  table  ;  whereupon  he  and 
Claes  and  Soetkin  saw  that  it  was  a  little  red-haired  Luxem- 
burg terrier,  and  that  it  was  wounded  in  the  back.  Soetkin 
sponged  the  wounds,  and  anointed  them  with  ointment,  and 
bound  them  up  with  linen  bandages.  Then  Ulenspiegel 
took  the  dog  and  put  it  in  his  bed  ;  but  Soetkin  desired  to 
have  it  in  her  own,  saying  she  was  afraid  that  Ulenspiegel 
would  hurt  the  little  red-haired  thing.  For  in  those  days 
Ulenspiegel  was  wont  to  toss  about  in  his  sleep  all  night  like 
a  young  devil  in  a  stoup  of  holy  water.  Ulenspiegel,  however, 

27 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

had  his  way,  and  he  took  such  care  of  the  dog  that  in  the 
space  of  six  days  it  was  walking  about  like  any  other  dog,  and 
giving  itself  great  airs. 

And  the  village  schoolmaster  christened  him  Titus  Bibulus 
Schnouffius  :  Titus  after  a  certain  good  Emperor  of  the 
Romans  who  was  fond  of  befriending  lost  dogs  ;  Bibulus 
because  the  dog  loved  beer  with  all  the  passion  of  a  con- 
firmed drunkard ;  and  Schnouffius  because  he  would  always 
run  about  sniffing  and  putting  his  nose  into  every  rat-hole 
and  mole-hole  he  could  find. 

XVI 

The  young  prince  of  Spain  was  now  fifteen  years  old,  and 
his  custom  was  to  wander  about  the  rooms  and  passages  and 
stairways  of  the  castle.  But  chiefly  was  he  to  be  found 
prowling  around  the  women's  quarters,  trying  to  pick  a 
quarrel  with  one  of  the  pages,  who  themselves  were  wont  to 
lurk  on  the  look  out,  like  cats,  in  the  corridors ;  while  others, 
again,  out  in  the  courtyard,  would  stand  singing  some  tender 
ballad,  nose  in  air.  When  the  young  prince  heard  one  sing- 
ing thus,  he  would  show  himself  at  one  of  the  windows,  and 
the  heart  of  that  poor  page  would  be  stricken  with  fear  as  he 
saw  that  white  face  there,  instead  of  the  gentle  eyes  of  his 
beloved. 

Now  among  the  Ladies  of  the  Court  there  was  a  gentle  dame 
from  Dudzeel  near  by  Damme  in  Flanders.  Fair-fleshed  she 
was,  like  fine  ripe  fruit,  and  marvellously  beautiful,  for  she 
had  green  eyes  and  reddish  hair  all  wavy  and  gleaming  gold. 
And  of  a  gay  humour  was  she,  and  of  an  ardent  complexion, 
nor  did  she  make  any  effort  to  conceal  her  taste  for  that 
fortunate  lord  to  whom  for  the  time  being  she  was  pleased  to 
grant  the  freedom  of  the  fair  estate  of  her  love.  Such  a  one 
there  was  even  now,  handsome  and  proud,  and  she  loved  him 
well.  Every  day,  at  a  certain  hour,  she  went  to  find  him — a 
thing  which  Philip  was  not  long  in  finding  out. 
28 


The  Virtues  of  Woman 

So,  one  day,  sitting  himself  down  on  a  bench  that  stood 
against  a  window,  he  lay  in  wait  for  her,  and  there  she  saw  him 
as  she  passed  by,  with  her  bright  eyes  and  her  mouth  half 
open,  all  meet  for  love  and  fresh  from  her  bath,  with  the  gear 
of  her  dress  of  yellow  brocade  swinging  about  her  as  she 
stepped  along.  Without  rising  from  his  seat,  Philip  accosted 
her. 

"  Madame,"  says  he,  "  could  you  not  spare  a  moment  ?  " 

Restive  as  some  eager  mare,  stayed  in  her  course  towards 
the  gallant  stallion  that  is  neighing  for  her  in  the  field,  the 
lady  made  answer : 

"All  here  must  needs  obey  the  royal  will  of  your  Highness." 

"  Then  sit  you  down  by  my  side,"  said  the  Prince.  And 
gazing  at  her  lewdly,  harshly,  cunningly,  he  spake  again  : 

"  I  would  have  you  recite  to  me  the  Pater  Nosier  in 
Flemish.  They  taught  it  me  once,  but  I  no  longer  remember 
it." 

The  poor  lady  did  as  she  was  bid  ;  and  then  the  Prince 
commanded  her  to  say  it  all  over  again,  but  more  slowly. 
And  so  on,  and  so  on,  until  she  had  recited  it  ten  times  over. 
After  that  he  began  to  speak  flatteringly  to  her,  praising  her 
beautiful  hair,  her  fresh  complexion,  and  her  bright  eyes. 
But  he  dared  not  to  say  a  word  concerning  her  lovely  shoulders 
or  her  rounded  throat,  or  of  aught  else  beside. 

When  at  last  she  was  beginning  to  hope  that  she  might  be 
able  to  get  away,  and  was  already  scanning  anxiously  the 
courtyard  where  her  lord  was  awaiting  her,  the  Prince  de- 
manded of  her  if  she  could  rightly  tell  him  what  were  the 
several  virtues  of  woman  ?  She  answered  nothing,  fearing 
that  she  might  say  something  to  displease  him.  He  then 
answered  for  her,  setting  the  matter  forth  in.  this  wise  : 

"  The  virtues  of  woman  are  these  :  chastity,  regard  for 
her  own  honour,  and  a  modest  manner  of  life."  And  he 
counselled  her,  therefore,  that  she  should  dress  decently  and 
should  always  be  careful  to  hide  those  things  which  were 

29 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

meet  to  be  hidden.  The  lady  nodded  assent,  saying  that 
for  His  Hyperborean  Highness  she  would  certainly  take  care 
to  cover  herself  with  ten  bear-skins  rather  than  with  a  single 
length  of  muslin. 

Having  put  him  to  shame  by  this  answer,  she  made  off 
gladly. 

But  in  Philip's  heart  the  fire  of  youth  was  alight — not  the 
fiery  glow  that  dares  the  souls  of  the  brave  to  lofty  deeds,  but 
a  dark  fire  from  hell  itself,  the  fire  of  Satan.  And  it  flamed  in 
his  grey  eyes  like  the  beam  of  a  winter's  moon  shining  down 
upon  a  charnel-house.  And  it  burned  within  him  cruelly.  .  .  . 

XVII 

Now  this  beautiful,  gay-hearted  lady  left  Valladolid  one 
day  for  her  Chateau  of  Dudzeel  in  Flanders. 

Passing  through  Damme,  with  her  fat  attendant  behind 
her,  she  noticed  a  lad  of  about  fifteen  years  of  age  sitting 
against  the  wall  of  a  cottage  blowing  a  pair  of  bagpipes.  In 
front  of  him  was  a  dog  with  red  hair  howling  dismally,  because, 
as  it  seemed,  he  did  not  at  all  appreciate  the  music  which  his 
master  was  making.  The  sun  shone  brightly,  and  at  the 
lad's  side  there  stood  a  pretty  young  girl  in  fits  of  laughter  at 
the  pitiful  howling  of  the  dog. 

This  then  was  the  sight  that  met  the  eye  of  the  beautiful 
lady  and  her  fat  attendant  as  they  passed  in  front  of  the 
cottage :  none  else  but  Ulenspiegel  blowing  his  pipes,  and 
Nele  in  fits  of  laughter,  and  Titus  Bibulus  Schnouffius  howling 
with  all  his  might. 

"  You  naughty  boy,"  said  the  dame  to  Ulenspiegel,  "  will 
you  never  stop  making  this  poor  red-hair  howl  like  this  ?  " 

But  Ulenspiegel,  staring  back  at  her,  blew  his  pipes  more 
valiantly  than  ever,  and  Bibulus  Schnouffius  howled  the  more 
dismally,  and  Nele  laughed  all  the  louder. 

The  lady's  attendant  grew  angry,  and  pointed  at 
Spiegel,  saying : 
30 


Tyl  and  the  Beautiful  Lady 

"  An  I  beat  this  wretched  little  imp  of  a  man  with  the 
scabbard  of  my  sword  he  would  give  over  his  insolent  row." 

Ulenspiegel  looked  the  attendant  in  the  face  and  called 
him  "  Jan  Papzak  "  because  of  his  fat  belly,  and  went  on 
blowing  his  bagpipes.  The  attendant  came  up  to  him,  and 
threatened  him  with  his  fist.  But  Bibulus  SchnoufHus  went 
for  him  straightway  and  bit  him  in  the  leg,  and  the  man 
fell  down,  crying  for  mercy  : 

"  Help,  help  !  " 

The  dame  only  smiled,  and  said  to  Ulenspiegel : 

"  Tell  me,  my  player  of  bagpipes,  is  the  road  still  the 
same  that  leads  from  Damme  to  Dudzeel  ?  " 

But  Ulenspiegel  went  on  playing,  and  only  nodded  his 
head  and  stared. 

"  Why  do  you  look  at  me  so  fixedly  ?  "  she  asked  him. 

But  he,  still  continuing  to  play,  opened  his  eyes  all  the 
wider  as  though  transported  by  an  ecstasy  of  admiration. 

"  Are  you  not  ashamed,"  she  said,  "  young  as  you  are,  to 
stare  at  ladies  so  ?  " 

Ulenspiegel  blushed  faintly,  but  went  on  blowing  his 
pipes,  and  staring  more  than  ever. 

"  I  have  already  asked  you  once,"  the  lady  insisted, 
"  whether  the  road  is  still  the  same  that  leads  from  Damme 
to  Dudzeel." 

"  It  is  green  no  longer  since  you  deprived  it  of  the  honour 
of  carrying  you,"  Ulenspiegel  answered. 

"  Will  you  show  me  the  way  ?  "  said  the  lady. 

But  Ulenspiegel  still  remained  sitting  where  he  was,  and 
still  went  on  staring  at  her.  And  she,  seeing  him  so  roguish, 
and  knowing  it  all  for  the  gamesomeness  of  youth,  forgave 
him  willingly. 

He  got  up  at  last,  and  began  to  walk  back  into  the  cottage. 

"  Whither  are  you  going  ?  "  she  asked  him. 

"  To  put  on  my  best  clothes,"  he  replied. 

"  Very  well,"  she  said. 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Then  the  lady  sat  herself  down  on  the  bench,  close  to  the 
doorstep,  and  tried  to  talk  to  Nele.  But  Nele  would  not 
answer  her,  for  she  was  jealous. 

It  was  not  long  before  Ulenspiegel  returned,  well  washed 
and  clothed  in  fustian.  He  looked  fine  in  his  Sunday  clothes, 
the  little  man. 

"  Are  you  really  going  off  with  this  fine  lady  ?  "  Nele 
asked  him. 

"  I  shall  soon  be  back,"  he  told  her. 

"  Let  me  go  instead  of  you,"  said  Nele. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  the  roads  are  muddy." 

"  Why,  little  girl,"  said  the  lady,  who  was  annoyed  and 
jealous  now  in  her  turn,  "  why  do  you  try  to  hinder  him  from 
coming  with  me  ?  " 

Nele  did  not  answer,  but  great  tears  gushed  from  her  eyes, 
and  she  gazed  at  the  fine  lady  in  sadness  and  in  anger. 

Then  the  four  of  them  started  off,  the  dame  seated  like  a 
queen  upon  her  ambling  palfrey,  the  attendant  with  his  belly 
that  shook  with  every  step,  Ulenspiegel  holding  the  lady's 
horse  by  the  bridle,  and  Bibulus  Schnourfius  walking  at  his 
side,  tail  proudly  in  air. 

Thus  went  they  on  horseback  and  on  foot  for  some  long 
while.  But  Ulenspiegel  was  not  at  his  ease  ;  dumb  as  a  fish 
he  sniffed  the  fine  scent  of  benjamin  that  floated  from  the  lady, 
and  saw  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  all  her  beautiful  gear, 
rare  jewels  and  trinkets,  and  the  sweet  expression  of  her  face, 
her  bright  eyes,  and  bare  neck,  and  her  hair  that  shone  in  the 
sunlight  like  a  hood  of  gold. 

"  Why  are  you  so  quiet,  my  little  man  ?  "  she  asked  him. 

He  answered  nothing. 

"  Do  you  keep  your  tongue  so  deep  in  your  boots  that  you 
could  not  take  a  message  for  me  ?  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  I  would  have  you  leave  me  here,"  said  the  dame, 
"  and  go  to  Koolkercke,  from  whence  this  wind  is  blowing. 
32 


The  Lost  Purse 

There  you  will  find  a  gentleman  dressed  in  black  and  red 
motley.  Tell  him  that  he  must  not  expect  me  to-day,  but 
let  him  come  to-morrow  evening  to  my  chateau,  by  the 
postern  gate,  at  ten  o'  the  clock. 

"  I  will  not  go,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Why  not  ? "  asked  the  lady. 

"  I  will  not  go,  not  I,"  Ulenspiegel  said  again. 

"  What  can  it  be,"  the  lady  asked  him,  "  what  can  it  be 
that  inspires  you  with  this  unyielding  will,  you  angry  little 
cock  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  go,"  Ulenspiegel  persisted. 

"  But  if  I  gave  you  a  florin  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  he. 

"  A  ducat  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  A  carolus  !  " 

"  No,"  Ulenspiegel  repeated,  "  although  " — and  this  was 
added  with  a  sigh — "  I  should  rather  see  it  in  my  mother's 
purse  than  a  mussel-shell ! " 

The  dame  laughed,  then  suddenly  cried  out  in  a  loud 
voice  : 

"  My  bag  !  I  have  lost  my  little  bag !  Beautiful  it  was  and 
rare,  made  of  silk,  and  sown  with  fine  pearls  !  It  was  hanging 
from  my  belt  when  we  were  at  Damme  !  " 

Ulenspiegel  did  not  budge,  but  her  attendant  came  up  to 
his  lady. 

"  Madame,"  said  he,  "  whatever  else  you  do,  be  careful 
not  to  send  this  young  robber  to  look  for  it,  for  so  you  will 
certainly  never  see  it  again." 

"  Who  will  go  then  ?  "  asked  the  lady. 

"  I  will,"  he  answered,  "  old  as  I  am." 

And  away  he  went. 

Midday  had  struck.  It  was  very  hot.  The  silence  was 
profound.  Ulenspiegel  said  not  a  word,  but  taking  off  his 
new  doublet  he  laid  it  on  the  grass  in  the  shade  of  a  lime-tree, 

c  33 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

so  that  the  dame  might  sit  down  thereon  without  fear  of  the 
damp.  He  stood  close  by,  heaving  a  sigh. 

She  looked  up  at  him,  and  felt  compassion  on  that  shy 
little  figure,  and  she  inquired  of  him  if  he  was  not  tired 
standing  there  upright  on  his  young  legs.  He  did  not  answer, 
but  slid  gently  down  at  her  side.  She  was  desirous  of  resting 
him,  and  she  drew  his  head  on  to  her  bare  neck,  and  there  it 
lay  so  willingly  that  she  would  have  thought  it  the  sin  of 
cruelty  itself  had  she  bade  him  find  some  other  pillow. 

After  a  while  the  attendant  came  back,  saying  that  he  had 
not  been  able  to  find  the  bag. 

"  I  have  found  it  myself,"  replied  the  lady,  "  for  when  I 
dismounted  from  my  horse,  there  it  was  hanging  half  open 
on  the  stirrup.  And  now  " — this  to  Ulenspiegel — "  show  us 
the  way  to  Dudzeel,  please,  and  tell  me  your  name." 

"  My  patron  saint,"  he  replied,  "  is  Monsieur  Saint  Thyl- 
bert,  a  name  which  means  fleet  of  foot  towards  that  which  is 
good ;  my  second  name  is  Claes,  and  my  surname  Ulenspiegel. 
But  now,  if  you  would  deign  to  look  at  yourself  in  my 
mirror,  you  would  see  that  in  all  the  land  of  Flanders  there  is 
not  one  flower  so  dazzling  in  its  beauty  as  is  the  scented 
grace  of  you." 

The  lady  blushed  with  pleasure,  and  was  not  angry  with 
Ulenspiegel. 

But  Soetkin  and  Nele  sat  at  home,  weeping  together, 
through  all  this  long  absence. 

XVIII 

When  Ulenspiegel  returned  from  Dudzeel  and  came  to 
the  entrance  of  the  town,  he  saw  Nele  standing  there  leaning 
with  her  back  against  the  toll-gate.  She  was  picking  the 
stones  out  of  a  bunch  of  black  grapes,  which  she  munched 
one  by  one,  and  found  therefrom,  doubtless,  much  delight  and 
refreshment ;  nevertheless,  she  did  not  allow  anything  of  her 
enjoyment  to  appear  on  her  countenance.  On  the  contrary, 

34 


Neles  Welcome 

she  seemed  annoyed  at  something,  tearing  at  the  grapes 
angrily.  She  looked,  indeed,  so  sad  and  sorrowful,  so  sweetly 
unhappy,  that  Ulenspiegel  felt  overcome  with  that  pity  which 
is  almost  love,  and  coming  up  to  her  from  behind,  he  printed 
a  kiss  on  the  nape  of  the  girl's  neck.  But  all  the  return  she 
gave  him  was  a  great  box  on  the  ear. 

"  Now  I  shall  not  be  able  to  see  properly  any  more,"  he 
said. 

She  burst  into  tears. 

"  O  Nele,"  says  he,  "  are  you  going  to  set  up  fountains 
at  the  entrance  of  all  the  villages  ?  " 

"  Be  off  with  you,"  says  she. 

"  But  I  can't  go  away  and  leave  you  crying  like  this,  my 
little  pet." 

"  I  am  not  your  little  pet,"  says  Nele ;  "  neither  am  I 
crying." 

"  No,  you  are  not  crying,  but  there  is  certainly  some  water 
coming  out  of  your  eyes." 

"  Will  you  go  away  ?  "    She  turned  on  him. 

"  No,"  he  answered. 

All  the  time  she  was  holding  her  pinafore  in  her  small 
trembling  hand,  tearing  at  the  stuff  in  little  spasms  of  rage, 
and  wetting  it  with  her  tears. 

"  Nele,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  when  is  it  going  to  be  fine 
again  ?  " 

And  he  smiled  at  her  very  lovingly. 

"  Why  do  you  ask  me  that  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Because  when  it  is  fine  there  is  an  end  of  weeping," 
answered  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Go  back  to  your  beautiful  lady  of  the  brocaded  gown," 
she  said.  "  Your  jokes  are  good  enough  for  her.  .  .  ." 

Then  Ulenspiegel  sang : 

When  I  see  my  love  crying 

My  heart  is  torn. 

When  she  smiles  "'tis  honey, 

35 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Pearls  when  she  weeps. 

Either  way  I  love  her. 

And  Pll  draw  a  draught  of  wine, 

Good  wine  from  Louvain, 

And  Fit  draw  a  draught  of  wine, 

When  Nele  smiles  again. 

"  You  villainous  man  !  "  she  cried,  "  making  fun  of  me 
again  !  " 

"  Nele,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  it  is  true  that  I  am  a  man. 
But  I  am  not  a  villain.  For  our  family  is  of  noble  origin,  a 
family  of  aldermen,  and  it  carries  on  its  shield  three  pint  pots 
argent  on  a  ground  bruinbier.  But,  Nele,  tell  me  now,  is  it  a 
fact  that  in  Flanders  when  a  man  sows  a  kiss  he  always  reaps 
a  box  on  the  ear  ? " 

"  I  refuse  to  speak  to  you,"  said  Nele. 

"  Then  why  open  your  mouth  to  tell  me  so  ?  " 

"  I  am  angry,"  she  said. 

Ulenspiegel  slapped  her  on  the  back  very  lightly  with  his 
hand,  saying : 

"  Kiss  a  naughty  girl  and  she  will  cuff  you ;  cuff  her,  she 
will  cry.  Come  then,  sweet,  cry  upon  my  shoulder  since  I 
have  cuffed  you !  " 

Nele  turned  round.  He  opened  his  arms,  and  she  threw 
herself  into  them. 

"  You  won't  go  away  any  more  down  there,  will  you  Tyl  ?  " 
she  asked  him. 

But  he  did  not  answer,  busy  as  he  was  in  pressing  with  his 
the  hand  that  trembled  so  pitifully,  and  in  drying  with  his  lips 
the  hot  tears  that  fell  from  the  eyes  of  Nele,  like  heavy  drops 
of  rain  in  a  storm. 

XIX 

These  were  the  days  when  the  noble  city  9f  Ghent  refused 
to  pay  the  tax  which  her  son,  the  Emperor  Charles,  was  de- 
manding of  her.  The  fact  was  it  was  impossible  to  pay,  for 
36 


The  Love  of  a  Son 

already  the  city  was  drained  of  money  by  the  act  of  Charles 
himself.  But  it  seemed  that  the  city  was  guilty  of  a  great 
crime,  and  Charles  resolved  to  go  himself  and  exact  punish- 
ment. For  to  be  whipped  by  her  own  son  is  above  all  things 
painful  to  a  mother. 

Now,  although  he  was  his  enemy,  Francis  Long-Nose  was 
pleased  to  offer  the  Emperor  a  free  passage  through  the  land 
of  France.  Charles  accepted  the  offer,  and  instead  of  being 
held  as  a  prisoner,  he  was  feted  and  feasted  in  right  royal 
fashion.  For  this  is  ever  a  sovereign  bond  of  union  between 
kings  :  each  to  aid  the  other  against  their  own  peoples. 

Charles  stayed  a  long  time  at  Valenciennes,  and  still  gave 
no  sign  of  his  wrath,  so  that  Mother  Ghent  began  to  lay  aside 
her  fears,  believing  that  the  Emperor  her  son  was  going  to 
forgive  her,  seeing  that  she  had  acted  within  her  rights. 

But  at  length  Charles  arrived  under  the  walls  of  the  city 
with  4000  horse,  together  with  the  Duke  of  Alba  and  the 
Prince  of  Orange.  The  poorer  townsfolk  and  the  small  busi- 
ness men  wished  to  prevent  this  filial  entry  into  their  city, 
and  would  have  called  to  arms  80,000  men  of  the  city  and  of 
the  country  round.  But  the  merchants,  the  boogh-poorters, 
opposed  this  suggestion,  being  afraid  of  the  predominance 
of  the  people.  Thus  Ghent  could  easily  have  cut  her  son  to 
pieces,  him  and  his  4000  horse.  But  it  seemed  she  loved  him 
too  dearly,  and  even  the  small  tradesmen  themselves  were 
fast  regaining  their  trust  in  him. 

Charles  also  loved  the  city,  but  only  for  the  sake  of  his 
coffers  that  were  stored  with  her  money,  and  which  he  hoped 
to  store  up  fuller  yet. 

Having  made  himself  master  of  the  place,  he  established 
military  posts  everywhere,  and  ordered  that  they  should 
patrol  the  city  night  and  day.  Then,  in  great  state,  he  pro- 
nounced his  sentence. 

The  chief  merchants  of  the  city  with  cords  round  their 
necks  were  to  appear  before  him  as  he  sat  on  his  throne,  and 

37 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

to  make  a  formal  apology.  Ghent  itself  was  declared  guilty 
of  the  most  costly  crimes — of  disloyalty,  disregard  of  treaties, 
disobedience,  sedition,  conspiracy,  and  high  treason.  The 
Emperor  declared  that  all  and  every  privilege — rights, 
customs,  freedoms,  and  usages — all  were  to  be  abolished  and 
annulled  ;  and  he  stipulated  for  the  future  too,  as  though 
he  were  God  himself,  that  none  of  his  successors  on  coming  to 
the  throne  should  ever  observe  any  one  of  these  usages  again, 
except  only  that  which  was  called  the  Caroline  Concession, 
as  granted  by  him  to  the  city. 

The  Abbey  of  St.  Bavon  he  razed  to  the  ground,  and  in 
place  he  erected  a  fortress  whence  he  could  pierce  with 
bullets  and  at  his  ease  his  mother's  very  heart.  Like  a  good 
son  that  is  in  a  hurry  for  his  inheritance,  he  confiscated  all 
the  riches  of  Ghent,  its  revenues,  its  houses,  its  artillery 
and  munitions  of  war.  Finding  it  still  too  well  guarded,  he 
destroyed  also  the  Red  Tower,  the  Tower  of  the  Trou  de 
Crapaud,  the  Braampoort,  the  Suenpoort,  the  Waalpoort,  the 
KeUlpoort,  and  many  another  of  its  gates,  all  carved  as 
they  were  and  sculptured  like  jewels  in  stone. 

And  afterwards,  when  strangers  came  to  Ghent,  they  would 
ask  of  one  another  : 

"  Can  this  indeed  be  Ghent  whose  marvels  were  on  the 
lips  of  all — this  city  so  desolated  and  brought  low  ?  " 

And  the  people  of  Ghent  would  make  answer  : 

"  Charles  the  Emperor  has  been  to  the  city.  He  has 
ravished  her  sacred  zone." 

And  so  saying  they  would  be  filled  with  anger  and  with 
shame.  And  from  the  ruins  of  the  city  gates  did  the  Emperor 
take  away  the  bricks  wherewith  to  build  his  castle. 

For  it  was  his  will  that  Ghent  should  be  utterly  im- 
poverished, that  thereby  he  might  make  it  impossible  for 
her  ever  to  oppose  his  proud  designs,  either  by  her  labour 
or  her  industry  or  wealth ;  therefore  he  condemned  her  to 
pay  that  share  of  the  tax  of  400,000  caroluses  which  she  had 

38 


The  Rape  of  Roelandt 

previously  refused  him,  and  in  addition  150,000  caroluses 
down,  and  6000  more  every  year  in  perpetuity.  More- 
over, in  earlier  days  the  city  had  lent  him  money  upon 
which  he  should  have  paid  interest  at  the  rate  of  150  pounds 
gross  annually.  But  he  made  himself  remit  by  force  the 
notes  of  credit,  and  by  paying  off  his  debt  in  this  way  he 
actually  enriched  himself. 

Many  and  many  a  time  had  Ghent  cherished  him  and 
succoured  him,  but  now  he  struck  her  on  the  breast  as  it  were 
with  a  dagger,  looking  for  blood,  since  it  seemed  he  had  not 
there  found  milk  enough. 

Last  shame  of  all,  he  cast  his  eye  upon  the  bell  that  is 
called  Roelandt ;  and  the  man  who  had  sounded  the  alarm 
thereon,  bidding  all  the  citizens  to  defend  the  rights  of  their 
city,  him  he  had  bound  and  hung  to  the  clapper  of  the  bell. 
And  he  had  no  pity  upon  Roelandt,  the  very  tongue  of  his 
mother,  the  tongue  whereby  she  spake  to  all  the  land  of 
Flanders,  Roelandt  the  proud  bell  that  sings  of  herself  this 
song  : 

When  I  ring  there  is  afire 

When  I  peal  there  is  a  storm 
In  the  land  of  Flanders. 

And  thinking  that  his  mother  had  too  loud  a  voice  he 
carried  away  her  bell.  And  the  people  of  the  country  round 
would  say  that  Ghent  was  dead,  now  that  her  son  had 
wrenched  away  her  tongue  with  his  pincers  of  iron. 

XX 

In  those  days,  which  were  days  of  spring,  fresh  and  clear, 
when  all  the  earth  is  in  love,  Soetkin  was  chatting  by  the 
open  window,  and  Claes  humming  a  tune,  while  Ulenspiegel 
was  dressing  up  the  dog  Bibulus  Schnouffius  in  a  judge's 
bonnet.  The  dog  plied  his  paws  as  though  desirous  of 
passing  judgment  upon  some  one,  though  in  reality  it 

39 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulempiegel 

was  simply  his  way  of  trying  to  get  rid  of  his  ungainly 
head-gear. 

All  at  once,  Ulenspiegel  shut  the  window  and  ran  back 
into  the  room.  Then  he  jumped  upon  the  chairs  and  the 
table,  reaching  up  towards  the  ceiling  with  his  hands.  Soet- 
kin  and  Claes  soon  discovered  the  cause  of  this  mad  behaviour, 
for  there  was  a  tiny  little  bird,  chirruping  with  fear,  and  cower- 
ing against  a  beam  in  the  recess  of  the  ceiling,  and  Ulenspiegel 
was  trying  to  catch  it.  He  had  almost  succeeded  when  Claes 
spoke  out  briskly  and  asked  him  : 

"  Why  are  you  jumping  about  like  this  ?  " 

"  To  catch  the  bird,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  and  put 
him  in  a  cage,  and  feed  him  with  seeds,  and  make  him  sing 
for  me." 

Meantime  the  bird,  crying  in  an  agony  of  terror,  flew  back 
into  the  room,  striking  its  head  against  the  window-pane. 
Still  Ulenspiegel  went  on  trying  to  catch  it,  but  suddenly  the 
hand  of  Claes  came  down  heavily  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  Catch  the  bird  if  you  can,"  said  he, "  put  it  in  a  cage,  make 
it  sing  for  your  pleasure ;  but  I  also  will  put  you  in  a  cage  that 
is  fastened  with  strong  bars  of  iron,  and  I  will  make  you  sing 
too.  Then  you,  who  like  nothing  better  than  to  run  about, 
will  be  able  to  do  so  no  more  ;  and  you  will  be  kept  standing 
in  the  shade  when  you  are  chilly,  and  in  the  sun  when  you 
are  hot.  And,  one  Sunday,  we  shall  all  go  out  and  forget 
to  give  you  your  food,  and  we  shall  not  return  again  till 
Thursday,  and  then  maybe  we  shall  find  our  Tyl  all  stiff  and 
starved  to  death." 

Soetkin  was  crying  at  this  picture,  but  Ulenspiegel 
started  forward. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  "  asked  Claes. 

"  Open  the  window  for  the  bird  to  fly  out,"  he  answered. 

And  in  fact  the  bird,  which  was  a  goldfinch,  flew  straight 
out  through  the  window,  and  with  a  cry  of  joy  mounted  up 
into  the  air  like  an  arrow,  and  then  alighted  upon  a  neigh- 
40 


The  Greatest  Good  in  the  World 

bouring  apple-tree,  smoothing  its  wings  with  its  beak,  ruffling 
its  plumage.  And  all  kinds  of  abuse  did  it  sing  in  its  bird 
language,  all  directed  against  Ulenspiegel. 

Then  Claes  said : 

"O  son  of  mine,  take  care  that  you  never  take  away  its 
liberty  from  either  man  or  beast,  for  liberty  is  the  greatest 
good  in  the  world.  Let  every  one  be  free,  free  to  go  out  into 
the  sun  when  it  is  cold,  and  into  the  shade  when  it  is  hot. 
And  let  God  give  judgment  on  His  Sacred  Majesty,  he  who, 
not  content  with  denying  freedom  of  belief  to  the  people  of 
Flanders,  has  now  put  all  the  noble  city  of  Ghent  into  a  cage 
of  slavery." 

XXI 

Now  Philip  was  married  to  Marie  of  Portugal,  and  with 
her  he  acquired  her  lands  for  the  crown  of  Spain  ;  and  to- 
gether they  had  a  son,  Don  Carlos,  he  who  was  afterwards 
called  "  the  mad  "  and  "  the  cruel."  And  Philip  had  no 
love  for  his  wife. 

The  Queen  was  lying-in.  She  kept  her  bed,  and  by  her  side 
were  the  maids  of  honour,  the  Duchess  of  Alba  among  them. 

Oftentimes  did  Philip  leave  his  wife  to  go  and  see  the 
burning  of  heretics.  And  all  the  gentlemen  and  ladies  of 
the  Court  did  likewise.  And  thus  also  did  the  Duchess  of 
Alba  and  the  other  noble  ladies  whose  duty  it  was  to  watch 
by  the  Queen  in  her  childbed. 

Now  at  that  time  the  ecclesiastical  judges  had  seized  a 
certain  sculptor  of  Flanders,  a  good  Roman  Catholic,  on  the 
following  charge  :  He  had  been  commissioned,  it  seems,  by  a 
certain  monk  to  carve  a  wooden  statue  of  Our  Lady  for  a 
certain  sum,  and  on  the  monk  refusing  to  pay  the  price  which 
had  been  agreed  between  them,  the  sculptor  had  slashed  at  the 
face  of  the  image  with  his  chisel,  saying  that  he  would  rather 
destroy  his  work  than  let  it  go  at  the  price  of  a  piece  of  dirt. 

He  was  straightway  denounced  by  the  monk  as  an  icono- 
clast, tortured  most  piteously  and  condemned  to  be  burnt 

41 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

alive.  During  the  torture  they  had  scalded  the  soles  of  his 
feet,  so  that  he  cried  out  as  he  passed  along  from  the  prison 
to  the  stake  :  "  Cut  my  feet  off !  For  God's  sake  cut  my  feet 
off!" 

And  Philip,  hearing  these  cries  from  afar,  was  glad,  though 
smiled  he  never  a  smile. 

Queen  Marie's  dames  of  honour  all  left  her,  wishing  to  be 
present  at  the  burning,  and  the  last  of  all  to  desert  her  was  the 
said  Duchess  of  Alba,  who,  hearing  the  cries  of  the  sculptor, 
could  not  forbear  to  witness  the  spectacle. 

So,  in  the  presence  of  King  Philip  and  of  his  lords,  princes, 
counts,  equerries,  and  ladies,  the  sculptor  was  bound  to  the 
stake  by  a  long  chain.  And  all  round  the  stake  was  a  circle 
of  flaming  bundles  of  straw  and  fiery  torches,  the  idea  being 
that  if  he  wished,  the  sculptor  could  be  roasted  very  gently 
by  keeping  close  to  the  stake  in  the  centre  of  the  circle,  thus 
avoiding  the  full  rigour  of  the  fire. 

And  right  curiously  did  they  watch  him,  naked  or  almost 
naked  as  he  was,  and  trying  to  stiffen  his  resolution  against 
the  heat  of  the  fire. 

Meanwhile  Queen  Marie  was  stricken  with  a  great  thirst, 
lying  there  alone  on  her  bed  of  childbirth.  And  seeing  the 
half  of  a  melon  on  a  plate,  she  dragged  herself  out  of  bed,  and 
took  hold  of  the  melon  and  ate  it  all.  But  thereafter  the  cold 
substance  of  the  melon  made  her  to  sweat  and  to  shiver,  and 
she  lay  upon  the  floor  unable  to  move. 

"  Alas  !  "  she  cried,  "  would  that  there  were  some  one  to 
carry  me  back  into  bed  that  I  might  get  warm  again  !  " 

Then  it  was  that  she  heard  the  cry  of  the  poor  sculptor  : 

"  Cut  off  my  feet !     Cut  off  my  feet !  " 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  Queen,  "  is  that  some  dog  or  other 
baying  at  my  death  ?  " 

It  was  at  this  very  moment  that  the  sculptor,  seeing  around 
him  none  but  the  faces  of  Spaniards,  his  enemies,  bethought 
him  of  Flanders,  the  land  of  valorous  men,  and  he  crossed  his 
42 


The  End  of  April 

arms  on  his  breast,  and  dragging  the  long  chain  behind  him, 
walked  straight  towards  the  outer  circle  of  the  straw  and 
the  flaming  torches.  And  standing  upright  there,  still  with 
his  arms  crossed  : 

"  This,"  cried  he,  "  this  is  how  the  men  of  Flanders  can 
die  in  the  face  of  the  tyrants  of  Spain.  Cut  off  their  feet — 
not  mine — that  they  may  be  able  no  more  to  run  into  the  way 
of  crime.  Flanders  for  ever  !  Flanders  for  ever  !  " 

And  the  ladies  clapped  their  hands,  crying  him  mercy 
for  the  sake  of  his  proud  look. 

And  he  died. 

And  Queen  Marie  shook  all  over  her  body,  and  she 
cried  out,  her  teeth  chattering  together  with  the  chill  of 
approaching  death.  And  her  arms  and  legs  -grew  stiff,  and 
she  said  : 

"  Put  me  back  into  my  bed  that  I  may  be  warmed." 

So  she  died. 

And  thus  it  was,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Katheline 
the  good  sorceress,  that  Philip  the  King  sowed  everywhere  he 
went  the  seeds  of  death,  and  blood,  and  tears. 

XXII 

But  Ulenspiegel  and  Nele  loved  each  other,  and  their 
love  was  true. 

It  was  now  the  end  of  April.  All  the  trees  were  in  bloom, 
and  every  plant  was  swollen  with  sap,  for  May  was  near,  the 
month  of  the  peacock,  flowered  like  a  -bouquet,  the  month 
that  sends  the  nightingales  singing  aloud  in  the  trees  of  all  the 
earth. 

Oftentimes  would  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  wander  together 
along  the  roads.  Nele  would  lean  on  the  arm  of  Ulenspiegel, 
and  hang  round  him  with  her  two  hands.  Ulenspiegel  loved 
this  little  game,  and  often  did  he  pass  his  arm  about  Nele's 
waist,  to  hold  her  the  better,  as  he  said.  And  she  was  happy, 
but  spake  not  a  word. 

43 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Softly  along  the  roads  blew  the  wind,  wafting  the  scent 
from  the  fields  ;  the  sea  boomed  in  the  distance,  rocking 
lazily  in  the  sun  ;  Ulenspiegel  seemed  like  some  youthful 
devil,  all  pride  ;  and  Nele  like  a  little  saint  from  Paradise, 
half  shy  of  her  happiness. 

She  leant  her  head  against  Ulenspiegel's  shoulder,  and  her 
hand  was  in  his,  and  as  they  passed  along  he  kissed  her 
forehead,  and  her  cheek,  and  her  sweet  lips.  But  still  she 
spake  no  word. 

After  some  hours  they  grew  hot  and  thirsty,  and  they 
drank  milk  at  the  house  of  a  peasant ;  and  yet  they  were 
not  refreshed.  Then  they  sat  them  down  on  the  grass  by  the 
side  of  the  ditch,  and  Nele  seemed  pale  and  pensive,  and 
Ulenspiegel  looked  at  her,  afraid  that  something  was  amiss. 

"  You  are  unhappy  ?  "  said  she. 

"  Yes,"  he  admitted. 

"  But  why  ?  "  she  asked  him. 

"  I  know  not,"  said  he.  "  But  these  apple-trees  and 
cherry-trees  all  in  flower,  this  air  so  warm  that  one  would 
say  it  was  charged  with  lightning,  these  daisies  that  open 
their  blushing  petals  to  the  fields,  and  oh,  the  hawthorn, 
there,  close  by  us  in  the  hedge,  all  white  .  .  .  Will  no  one 
tell  me  why  it  is  that  I  feel  troubled,  and  always  ready  to  die 
or  to  go  to  sleep  ?  And  my  heart  beats  so  strangely  when  I 
hear  the  birds  awaken  in  the  trees,  and  when  I  see  the 
swallows  coming  home  !  Then  I  am  fain  to  go  away  beyond 
the  sun  and  beyond  the  moon.  And  sometimes  I  am  cold, 
and  then  again  I  am  hot.  Ah,  Nele  !  would  that  I  were 
no  longer  a  creature  of  this  low  world  !  Verily  I  would  give 
my  life  a  thousand  times  to  her  that  would  love  me  !  " 

Yet  Nele  spake  not  at  all,  but  smiling  at  her  ease  sat 
looking  at  Ulenspiegel. 

XXIII 

One  Day  of  All  Souls,  Ulenspiegel  went  forth  from  Notre 
Dame  with  certain  other  vagabonds  of  his  own  age.  Among 

44 


NELE  AND  ULEN SPIEGEL 


Tyl  denounced  for  a  Heretic 

them  was  Lamme  Goedzak,  who  seemed  strayed  among  them 
like  a  lamb  in  the  midst  of  a  herd  of  wolves.  Lamme  treated 
them  with  drinks  all  round,  for  his  mother,  as  her  custom 
was  on  Sundays  and  feast  days,  had  given  him  three  patards. 

So  he  went  with  his  companions  to  the  tavern  In  dem 
Rooden  Schildt — at  the  sign  of  the  Red  Shield.  Jan  van 
Liebeke  kept  the  house,  and  he  served  them  with  dobbel 
knollaert  from  Courtrai. 

They  began  to  be  warmed  with  the  drink,  and  the  talk 
turned  on  the  subject  of  prayer,  and  Ulenspiegel  declared 
quite  openly  that,  for  his  part,  he  thought  that  Masses  for  the 
dead  did  nobody  any  good,  except  the  priests  who  said  them. 

Now  in  that  company  there  was  a  Judas,  who  went  and 
denounced  Ulenspiegel  for  a  heretic.  And  in  spite  of  the 
tears  of  Soetkin,  and  the  entreaties  of  Claes,  Ulenspiegel  was 
seized  and  taken  prisoner.  He  remained  shut  up  in  a  cellar 
for  the  space  of  a  month  and  three  days  without  seeing  a  soul. 
The  jailor  himself  consumed  three-quarters  of  the  ration  that 
was  given  him  for  food. 

During  all  this  time  the  authorities  were  informing 
themselves  as  to  Ulenspiegel's  reputation — whether  it  was 
good  or  whether  it  was  bad.  They  found  that  there  was  not 
much  to  be  said  against  him  except  that  he  was  a  lively  sort 
of  customer,  always  railing  against  his  neighbours.  But  they 
could  not  find  that  he  had  ever  spoken  evil  of  Our  Lord  God, 
or  of  Madame  the  Virgin,  nor  yet  of  the  Saints.  On  this 
account  the  sentence  passed  on  him  was  a  light  one,  for  he 
might  easily  have  been  condemned  to  have  his  face  branded 
with  a  hot  iron  and  to  be  flogged  till  the  blood  flowed.  But  in 
consideration  of  his  youth,  the  judges  merely  sentenced  him 
to  walk  in  his  shirt  behind  the  priests  barefoot  and  hatless, 
and  holding  a  candle  in  his  hand.  And  this  he  was  to  do  on 
the  Feast  of  the  Ascension,  in  the  first  procession  that  left 
the  church. 

So  it  was  done,  and  when  the  procession  was  on  the  point 

45 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

of  turning  back,  Ulenspiegel  was  made  to  stop  beneath  the 
porch  of  Notre  Dame,  and  there  cry  out  aloud  : 

"  Thanks  be  to  our  Lord  Jesus !  Thanks  be  to  the 
reverend  priests  !  Sweet  are  their  prayers  unto  the  souls  in 
purgatory ;  nay,  they  are  filled  with  every  virtue  of  refresh- 
ment !  For  each  Ave  is  even  as  a  bucket  of  water  poured 
upon  the  backs  of  those  who  are  being  punished,  and  every 
Pater  is  a  tubful ! " 

And  the  people  heard  him  with  great  devotion,  and  not 
without  a  smile. 

On  Whit-Sunday  the  same  proceeding  had  to  be  gone 
through,  and  Ulenspiegel  followed  again  in  the  procession 
with  nothing  on  but  his  shirt,  and  with  his  head  bare,  and  no 
shoes  on  his  feet,  and  holding  a  candle  in  his  hand.  On 
returning  to  the  church  he  stood  up  in  the  porch,  holding  the 
candle  most  reverently  in  his  hand,  and  then  in  a  high,  clear 
voice  (yet  not  without  sundry  waggish  grimaces)  spake  as 
follows : 

"  If  the  prayers  of  all  good  Christians  are  very  comforting 
to  the  souls  in  purgatory,  how  much  more  so  must  be  those 
of  the  Dean  of  Notre  Dame,  a  holy  man  and  perfect  in  the 
performance  of  every  virtue.  Verily,  his  prayers  assuage 
the  flames  of  fire  in  such  wise  that  they  are  transformed  all  of 
a  sudden  into  ice.  But  yet  be  sure  that  not  an  atom  of  it 
goes  to  refresh  the  devils  that  are  in  hell." 

And  again  the  people  hearkened  to  what  he  said  with  great 
devotion.  But  some  of  them  smiled,  and  the  Dean  smiled 
too,  in  his  grim  ecclesiastical  way. 

After  that,  Ulenspiegel  was  condemned  to  banishment 
from  the  land  of  Flanders  for  the  space  of  three  years,  on 
condition  that  he  went  to  Rome  on  pilgrimage  and  brought 
back  with  him  the  papal  absolution.  For  this  sentence 
Claes  had  to  pay  three  florins  :  but  he  gave  an  extra  florin 
to  his  son,  and  bought  him  a  pilgrim's  habit. 

Ulenspiegel  was  heart-broken  when  he  came  to  say  good- 
46 


The  Parting 

bye  to  Claes  and  Soetkin  on  the  day  of  his  departure.  He 
embraced  them  both,  and  his  mother  was  all  in  tears  ;  but 
she  accompanied  him  far  on  his  way,  and  Claes  went  too, 
and  many  of  the  townsmen  and  townswomen. 

When  they  were  home  again  Claes  said  to  his  wife  : 

"  Good  wife,  it  is  very  hard  that  such  a  boy  should  be 
condemned  to  this  cruel  punishment  and  all  for  a  few  silly 
words." 

"  Why,  you  are  crying,  my  man ! "  said  Soetkin. 
"Truly,  you  love  him  more  than  you  like  to  show.  Yes, 
you  are  sobbing  now  with  a  man's  sobs,  sobs  that  are  like 
unto  the  tears  of  a  lion." 

But  he  answered  her  not. 

As  for  Nele,  she  had  gone  to  hide  herself  in  the  barn,  so 
that  none  might  see  that  she  also  wept  for  Ulenspiegel. 
But  she  followed  afar  after  Soetkin  and  Claes  and  the  other 
townsfolk  :  and  when  she  saw  her  lover  disappearing  in  the 
distance,  she  ran  after  him  and  threw  herself  on  his  neck. 

"  In  Italy  you  will  meet  many  beautiful  ladies,"  she  said. 

"  I  do  not  know  about  their  being  beautiful,"  he  replied, 
"  but  fresh  like  thee — no.  For  they  are  all  parched  with  the 
sun." 

They  walked  a  long  way  side  by  side,  and  Ulenspiegel 
seemed  thoughtful,  muttering  from  time  to  time : 

"  I'll  make  'em  pay — I'll  make  'em  pay  for  their  Masses 
for  the  dead  !  " 

"  What  Masses  are  those  you  speak  of  ? "  Nele  inquired. 
"  And  who  is  to  pay  for  them  ?  " 

Ulenspiegel  answered  : 

"  All  the  deans,  cures,  clerks,  beadles  and  the  rest,  both 
superior  and  inferior,  who  feed  us  with  their  trash.  See  now, 
if  I  had  happened  to  be  a  strong  working  man  they  would 
have  robbed  me  of  the  value  of  three  years'  labour  by  making 
me  thus  to  go  on  this  pilgrimage.  But  as  things  are,  it  is  the 
poor  Claes  who  pays.  Ah,  but  they  shall  give  me  back  my 

47 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

three  years  a  hundredfold,  and  with  their  own  money  I 
myself  will  sing  for  them  their  Masses  for  the  dead  !  " 

"  Alas,  Tyl !  "  said  Nele,  "  be  prudent,  or  they  will  have 
you  burnt  alive." 

"  I  am  fireproof,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

And  they  parted  from  one  another,  she  all  in  tears,  he 
heart-broken  and  angry. 

XXIV 

Once  in  the  open  country,  Ulenspiegel  shook  himself 
like  a  dog,  or  like  a  bird  that  has  regained  its  liberty,  and  his 
heart  was  cheered  by  the  trees  and  fields  and  the  bright 
sunshine. 

When  he  had  walked  on  thus  for  three  days  he  came  to  the 
outskirts  of  Brussels,  and  to  the  wealthy  township  of  Uccle. 
And  there,  passing  in  front  of  the  inn  with  the  sign  of  the 
Trumpet,  his  attention  was  drawn  to  a  most  heavenly  odour 
of  fricassee.  A  little  urchin  who  stood  by  was  also  sniffing 
the  delightful  perfume  of  the  sauce,  and  Ulenspiegel  asked 
him  in  whose  honour  it  was  that  there  rose  to  heaven  such 
odour  of  festal  incense.  The  boy  made  answer  that  the 
Guild  of  the  Jolly  Face  was  to  meet  at  the  inn  that  evening 
after  vespers,  to  celebrate  the  deliverance  of  the  town  by  the 
women  and  girls  of  olden  time. 

Now  in  the  distance  Ulenspiegel  saw  a  high  pole  with  a 
popinjay  on  the  top  of  it,  and  the  pole  was  set  in  the  ground, 
and  round  it  were  a  company  of  women  armed  with  bows  and 
arrows.  He  asked  the  boy  if  women  were  become  archers 
nowadays  ? 

The  boy,  still  sniffing  greedily  the  savour  of  the  sauces, 
replied  that  in  the  days  of  the  Good  Duke  the  very  bows  that 
were  now  being  used  by  those  women  had  been  the  means  of 
killing  over  a  hundred  brigands. 

Ulenspiegel  desired  to  know  further  concerning  this 
matter,  but  the  boy  said  that  he  could  tell  no  more,  so  hungry 


Tyl  made  welcome  at  Uccle 

was  he,  unless  forsooth  Ulenspiegel  would  give  him  a  patard 
with  which  he  might  buy  food  and  drink.  This  Ulenspiegel 
did,  for  he  felt  sorry  for  him. 

No  sooner  had  the  boy  received  the  patard  than  he  rushed 
into  the  tavern  like  a  fox  to  the  hen-house,  and  presently 
reappeared  in  triumph  with  half  a  sausage  and  a  large  loaf 
of  bread. 

And  now  Ulenspiegel  was  suddenly  aware  of  a  sweet 
sound  of  viols  and  tabors,  and  soon  he  saw  a  number  of 
women  dancing  together,  and  among  them  a  woman  of  great 
beauty  with  a  chain  of  gold  hanging  round  her  neck. 

The  boy,  who  had  by  this  time  assuaged  his  hunger  and 
was  grinning  with  delight,  informed  Ulenspiegel  that  the 
beautiful  woman  was  the  Queen  of  Archery,  that  her  name  was 
Mietje,  and  that  she  was  wife  to  Messire  Renonckel,  alderman 
of  the  parish.  Then  he  asked  Ulenspiegel  to  give  him  six  Hards 
for  a  drink.  Ulenspiegel  gave  him  the  money,  and  when 
he  had  thus  eaten  and  drunk  his  fill  the  urchin  sat  himself 
down  in  the  sun  and  fell  to  picking  his  teeth  with  his  nails. 

When  the  women  archers  noticed  Ulenspiegel  standing 
there  in  his  pilgrim's  habit,  they  came  and  began  to  dance 
round  him  in  a  ring,  crying  : 

"  Hail  pilgrim,  hail !  Do  you  come  from  far  away,  you 
handsome  pilgrim  boy  ?  " 

Ulenspiegel,  thinking  sadly  of  Nele,  thus  made  answer : 

"  I  come  from  Flanders,  a  lovely  land  and  filled  with 
lovesome  girls." 

"  What  crime  have  you  committed  ?  "  asked  the  women, 
stopping  in  their  dance. 

"  I  dare  not  confess  it,  so  great  it  was,"  said  he. 

They  asked  him  the  reason  why  it  was  needful  for  him  to 
journey  thus  with  a  pilgrim's  staff  and  wallet,  and  those 
scalloped  oysters  that  are  the  sign  of  the  pilgrim. 

"  The  reason  is,"  he  replied,  not  quite  truthfully,  "  that  I 
said  that  Masses  for  the  dead  are  advantageous  to  the  priests." 

D  49 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  True,  they  bring  many  a  sounding  denier  to  the  priests," 
they  answered ;  "  but  are  they  not  also  of  advantage  to  the 
souls  in  purgatory !  " 

"  I  have  never  been  there,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Will  you  come  dine  with  us  ?  "  said  the  prettiest  of  the 
archers. 

"  Willingly  would  I  dine  with  you,"  said  he,  "  and  dine 
off  you  into  the  bargain  !  You  and  all  your  companions  in 
turn,  for  you  are  morsels  fit  for  a  king,  more  delicate  to 
swallow  than  any  ortolan  or  thrush  or  snipe  !  " 

"  Nay,"  they  answered,  "  but  we  are  not  for  sale." 

"  Then  perhaps  you  will  give  ?  "  he  asked  them. 

"  Yea,  verily,"  they  laughed,  "  a  good  box  on  the  ear  to 
such  as  are  too  bold.  And  if  needs  were  we  would  beat  you 
now  like  a  bundle  of  corn  !  " 

"  Thank  you,"  he  said,  "  I  will  go  without  the  beating." 

"  Well  then,"  they  said,  "  come  in  to  dinner." 

So  he  followed  them  into  the  inn  yard,  glad  for  their 
fresh  young  faces.  And  thereafter  he  saw  the  Brethren  of 
the  Jolly  Face  themselves,  who  were  now  entering  the  yard 
with  great  ceremony,  and  by  their  own  jolly  appearance 
living  up  most  conspicuously  to  the  name  of  their  Guild. 

They  scrutinized  Ulenspiegel  with  some  curiosity,  till  one 
of  the  women  informed  them  who  he  was — a  pilgrim  they  had 
picked  up  on  the  road,  and  whom,  being  a  good  red-face  like 
unto  their  husbands  and  their  sweethearts,  they  had  invited 
to  share  in  the  entertainment.  The  men  were  agreeable  to  this 
proposal,  and  one  of  them  addressed  himself  to  Ulenspiegel  : 

"  Pilgrim  on  pilgrimage,  what  say  you  now  to  continuing 
your  pilgrimage  across  some  sauce  and  fricassee  ?  " 

"  I  shall  have  need  of  my  seven-league  boots,"  answered 
Ulenspiegel. 

Now  as  he  was  following  them  into  the  festal  hall,  he 
noticed  twelve  blind  men  coming  along  the  Paris  road. 
And  as  they  passed  they  were  lamenting  most  piteously 


Generosity  of  Ulenspiegel 

their  hunger  and  thirst.  But  Ulenspiegel  said  to  himself 
that  they  should  dine  that  night  like  kings,  and  all  at  the 
expense  of  the  Dean  of  Uccle  himself,  and  in  memory  of  the 
Masses  for  the  dead. 

He  accosted  them,  saying  : 

"  Here  are  nine  florins  for  you.  Come  in  to  dinner.  Do 
you  not  smell  the  good  smell  of  fricassee  ?  " 

"  Ah ! "  they  cried,  "  for  the  last  half-league,  and  without 
hope  ! " 

"  Now  you  can  eat  your  fill,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  for  you 
have  nine  florins." 

But  he  had  not  really  given  them  anything. 

"  The  Lord  bless  you,"  they  said.  For  being  blind,  each 
man  believed  his  neighbour  had  been  given  the  money.  And 
shown  the  way  by  Ulenspiegel,  they  all  sat  down  at  a  small 
table  while  the  Brethren  of  the  Jolly  Face  took  their  seats  at 
a  long  one,  together  with  their  wives  and  their  daughters. 

Then,  with  the  complete  assurance  that  comes  from  the 
possession  of  nine  florins  : 

"  Mine  host,"  cried  the  blind  men  insolently,  "  give  us 
now  to  eat  and  to  drink  of  your  best." 

The  landlord,  who  had  heard  tell  of  the  nine  florins  and 
thought  that  they  were  safe  in  the  blind  men's  purse,  asked 
them  what  they  would  like  for  their  dinner. 

Then  they  all  began  to  talk  at  once  at  the  top  of  their 
voices : 

"  Bacon  and  peas,  hotchpotch  of  beef  and  veal,  chicken 
and  lamb  !  And  where  are  the  sausages — were  they  made  for 
the  dogs,  pray  ?  And  who  is  he  that  has  smelt  out  the  black 
and  white  puddings  in  the  passage  without  collaring  them 
for  us  ?  I  used  to  be  able  to  see  them,  alas,  in  the  days  when 
my  poor  eyes  were  bright  as  candles !  And  where  is  the 
buttered  koekebakken  of  Anderlecht  ?  Sizzling  in  the  frying- 
pan,  juicy  and  crackling,  enough  to  make  a  fish  thirsty  for 
drink  !  Ho  there  !  But  who  will  bring  me  eggs  and  ham,  or 

51 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

ham  and  eggs,  twin  friends  of  my  palate  ?  And  where  are 
you,  you  choesels,  that  float  in  a  heavenly  mess  of  meats  and 
kidneys,  coxcombs,  sweetbreads,  ox-tails,  lamb's  feet,  with 
many  onions,  pepper,  cloves,  nutmegs,  all  in  a  stew,  and  three 
pints  at  least  of  best  white  wine  for  sauce  ?  And  who  will 
bring  you  to  me  divine,  chitterlings,  you  that  are  so  good 
that  one  does  not  utter  a  word  while  you  are  being 
swallowed !  And  they  come  straight  from  Luyleckerland,  a 
land  bursting  with  fatness  and  filled  with  happy  lazy  folk, 
whose  passion  for  good  things  to  eat  is  never  assuaged  !  And 
where  are  you,  dried  leaves  of  autumns  past  ?  Now  quick 
there  !  Bring  me  a  leg  of  mutton  with  broad  beans.  And  for 
me,  some  pig's  ears  grilled  with  bread-crumbs.  And  for  me, 
a  chaplet  of  ortolans.  Verily  the  snipe  shall  figure  the 
Paters,  and  a  fat  capon  the  Credo" 

Mine  host  answered  quietly: 

"  I  will  bring  you  an  omelette  made  with  sixty  eggs. 
And  as  sign-posts  to  guide  your  spoons,  I  will  plant  fifty 
black  puddings  in  the  midst,  all  smoking  on  a  veritable 
mountain  of  good  cheer  ;  and  from  the  top  of  all  some  dobbel 
'peterman  shall  flow  down  like  a  river  on  every  side." 

At  this  the  mouths  of  the  poor  blind  men  began  to  water 
indeed,  and  they  said  : 

"  Then  serve  us,  pray,  and  that  right  quickly  with  the 
mountain,  the  sign-posts,  and  the  river !  " 

And  the  Brethren  of  the  Jolly  Face,  who  were  now  all 
seated  at  table  with  their  wives,  remarked  to  Ulenspiegel  that 
this  should  be  called  the  Day  of  the  Invisible  Feast ;  for 
that  the  blind  men  could  not  see  what  they  were  eating,  and 
thus,  poor  things,  were  deprived  of  half  their  pleasure. 

At  last  it  came — the  omelette  all  garnished  with  cress  and 
parsley,  carried  by  mine  host  himself  and  four  of  his  cooks — 
and  the  blind  men  desired  to  fall  to  incontinently,  and  at 
once  began  to  set  their  paws  upon  it.  But  mine  host  was 
determined  to  serve  each  of  them  fairly,  and,  however  difficult 

53 


The  Feast  of  the  Blind  Men 

it  might  be,  to  make  sure  that  each  trencher  had  its  just 
portion. 

The  women  archers  were  filled  with  pity  to  see  the  blind 
men  gobbling  and  sighing  with  joy  at  what  was  set  before 
them.  For  in  truth  they  were  half  starved,  and  they 
swallowed  down  the  puddings  as  though  they  had  been  oysters. 
And  the  dobbd  peterman  flowed  into  their  stomachs  as  it  had 
been  a  cataract  falling  down  from  some  lofty  mountain. 

When  at  length  they  had  cleared  their  trenchers,  they 
demanded  yet  further  supplies  of  koekebakken,  ortolans,  and 
fricassees.  Mine  host,  however,  only  provided  a  great  platter 
of  beef  and  veal  and  mutton  bones,  all  swimming  in  a  most 
goodly  sauce.  But  he  did  not  divide  it  properly.  So  that 
when  they  had  well  dipped  their  bread  in  the  sauce,  and  eke  their 
hands  right  up  to  the  elbows,  yet  drew  not  out  anything  but 
bones  of  cutlet  of  veal  or  mutton,  each  man  fell  straightway 
to  imagining  that  his  neighbour  had  got  hold  of  all  the  meat, 
and  they  began  to  fight  among  themselves,  hitting  out  most 
furiously  one  against  another  with  the  bones. 

The  Brethren  of  the  Jolly  Face  laughed  heartily  at  this, 
but  being  charitably  disposed,  each  put  a  portion  of  his  own 
dinner  into  the  blind  men's  platter.  So  now  if  one  of  the 
blind  went  searching  for  a  new  bone  with  which  to  carry  on 
the  fight,  he  would  put  his  hand  belike  upon  a  thrush  or 
chicken  or  a  lark  or  two  ;  and  all  the  time  the  women,  holding 
their  heads  well  backwards,  kept  pouring  into  the  mouths 
of  the  blind  long  draughts  of  Brussels  wine,  and  when  they 
reached  out  with  their  hands  to  feel,  as  blind  men  will, 
whence  came  these  rivulets  of  ambrosia,  they  would  catch 
oftentimes  at  a  woman's  skirt,  and  try  to  hold  it  fast.  But 
quickly  the  skirt  would  make  its  escape. 

Thus  they  laughed  and  drank,  ate  and  sang,  enjoying 
themselves  hugely.  Some  of  them,  when  they  found  that 
women  were  present,  ran  through  the  hall  all  maddened 
with  amorous  desire.  But  the  malicious  girls  kept  out  of 

53 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

their  way,  hiding  behind  the  Brethren  of  the  Jolly  Face. 
And  one  of  them  would  say  :  "  Come,  kiss  me  !  "  And  when 
the  blind  victim  tried  to  do  so  he  would  find  himself  kissing 
not  a  girl  at  all  but  the  bearded  face  of  a  man,  who  would 
reward  him  with  a  cuff  on  the  cheek  as  like  as  not. 

And  the  Brethren  of  the  Jolly  Face  began  to  sing,  and  the 
blind  men  sang  also,  and  the  merry  women  smiled  with  fond 
delight  to  see  their  pleasure.  But  when  the  juicy  hours 
were  past,  it  was  the  turn  of  the  innkeeper,  who  came  for- 
ward, saying : 

"  Now  you  have  eaten  your  fill,  my  friends,  and  drunk 
your  fill.  You  owe  me  seven  florins." 

But  each  of  the  blind  men  swore  that  he  had  no  purse,  and 
asserted  that  it  was  one  of  the  others  who  carried  it.  Thereat 
arose  a  further  dispute,  and  they  began  to  hit  out  at  one 
another  with  feet  and  hands  and  heads  ;  but  they  mostly 
missed  their  mark,  striking  out  at  random,  while  the  Brethren 
of  the  Jolly  Face,  entering  into  the  fun,  took  care  to  keep 
them  apart,  so  that  their  blows  rained  down  upon  the 
empty  air — all  save  one,  which  happened  unfortunately  to 
strike  the  face  of  the  innkeeper,  who  straightway  fell  into  a 
rage  and  ransacked  all  their  pockets.  But  he  found  there 
nothing  but  an  old  scapular,  seven  liards,  three  breeches- 
buttons,  and  a  few  rosaries. 

At  last  he  threatened  to  throw  the  whole  lot  of  them  into 
the  pig-trough,  and  leave  them  there  with  nothing  but  bread 
and  water  to  eat  till  they  paid  what  they  owed. 

"  Let  me  go  surety  for  them,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Certainly,"  answered  the  innkeeper,  "  if  some  one  will 
also  go  surety  for  you." 

This  the  Brethren  of  the  Jolly  Face  at  once  offered  to  do, 
but  Ulenspiegel  refused  them. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  the  Dean  of  Uccle  shall  be  my  surety. 
I  will  go  and  find  him." 

To  be  sure  it  was  those  Masses  for  the  dead  that  he  was 

54 


THE  FEAST  OF  THE  BLIND  MEN 


The  Dean  of  Uccle 

thinking  of.  And  when  he  had  found  the  Dean  he  told  him 
a  story  of  how  the  innkeeper  of  the  Trumpet  Inn  was  pos- 
sessed by  the  Devil,  and  how  he  could  talk  of  nothing  but 
"  pigs  "  and  "  blind  men  " — something  or  other  about  pigs  eat- 
ing the  blind,  and  the  blind  eating  the  pigs  under  various 
infamous  forms  of  roast  meats  and  fricassees.  While  these 
attacks  were  on,  the  innkeeper,  so  Ulenspiegel  affirmed, 
would  break  up  all  the  furniture  in  the  inn ;  and  he  begged 
the  Dean  to  come  and  deliver  the  poor  man  from  the  wicked 
devil  that  possessed  him. 

The  Dean  promised  to  do  so,  but  he  said  he  could  not  come 
at  the  moment  (for  he  was  busy  with  the  accounts  of  the 
Chapter,  trying  to  make  something  out  of  them  for  himself). 
Seeing  that  the  Dean  was  growing  impatient,  Ulenspiegel  said 
that  he  would  return  and  bring  with  him  the  innkeeper's  wife 
in  order  that  the  Dean  might  speak  to  her  himself. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Dean. 

So  Ulenspiegel  came  again  to  the  innkeeper  and  said  to 
him : 

"  I  have  just  seen  the  Dean,  and  he  is  willing  to  go  surety 
for  the  blind  men.  Do  you  keep  watch  over  them,  and  let 
your  wife  come  with  me,  and  the  Dean  will  repeat  to  her  what 
I  have  just  told  you." 

"  Go,  wife,"  said  the  innkeeper. 

So  the  innkeeper's  wife  went  with  Ulenspiegel  to  the  Dean, 
who  was  still  at  his  accounts  and  busy  with  the  same  problem. 
When,  therefore,  he  saw  Ulenspiegel  and  the  woman,  he  made 
an  impatient  gesture  that  they  should  withdraw,  saying  at 
the  same  time : 

"  It  is  all  right.  I  will  come  to  the  help  of  your  husband 
in  a  day  or  two." 

And  Ulenspiegel  went  back  to  the  inn  and  said  to 
himself : 

"  Seven  florins  shall  he  pay ;  seven  florins.  And  that 
shall  be  the  first  of  my  Masses  for  the  dead  !  " 

55 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

And  Ulenspiegel  departed  from  that  place,  and  the  blind 
men  likewise. 

XXV 

Now  in  those  days  Katheline  had  effected  a  cure,  by 
means  of  herbs,  on  three  sheep,  an  ox,  and  a  pig,  all  belong- 
ing to  a  certain  man  named  Speelman.  She  also  attempted 
to  cure  a  cow,  the  property  of  one  Jan  Beloen,  but  in  this  she 
was  not  successful.  Jan  Beloen  promptly  accused  her  of 
being  a  witch,  asserting  that  she  had  laid  a  charm  on  the 
animal,  inasmuch  as  all  the  time  she  was  giving  the  herbs 
she  had  caressed  it  and  talked  to  it,  in  the  Devil's  own 
language,  as  was  evident — for  what  business  has  an  honest 
Christian  woman  to  go  talking  with  an  animal.  .  .  .  ? 

Jan  Beloen  added  that  he  was  a  neighbour  of  Speelman's, 
the  man  whose  ox  had  been  cured,  together  with  three 
sheep  and  a  pig  as  aforesaid,  and  if  Katheline  had  now  killed 
his  cow,  it  was  doubtless  at  the  instigation  of  Speelman,  who 
was  jealous  at  seeing  his,  Beloen's,  land  better  and  more 
profitably  cultivated  than  his  own.  Pieter  Meulmeester,  a 
man  of  good  life  and  reputation,  and  Jan  Beloen  himself 
both  testified  that  Katheline  was  commonly  reputed  to  be  a 
witch  by  the  people  of  Damme,  and  that  she  had  certainly 
killed  the  cow  ;  and  on  this  testimony  Katheline  was  arrested 
and  condemned  to  be  tortured  until  she  had  confessed  her 
crimes  and  malpractices. 

She  was  cross-examined  by  a  certain  alderman  who  was 
notorious  for  his  ill-temper,  for  he  was  accustomed  to  drink 
brandy  all  the  day  long.  And  he  ordered  her  to  be  placed  on 
the  seat  of  torture  in  the  presence  of  himself  and  the  members 
of  the  Town  Council. 

The  torturer  put  her  on  the  seat  stark  naked,  and  then 
shaved  off  her  hair,  looking  carefully  to  see  that  no  charm 
was  concealed  anywhere  about  her  person.  Finding  none, 
he  bound  her  with  cords  to  the  seat  of  torture.  And  she 
said  : 

56 


Katheline  at  the  Torture 

"  It  shames  me  to  be  naked  before  these  men.  O  Mother 
Mary,  let  me  die  !  " 

The  torturer  then  wrapped  some  damp  cloths  round  her 
breast  and  body  and  legs,  and  raising  the  bench  upright  he 
proceeded  to  pour  great  quantities  of  hot  water  down  her 
throat  so  that  her  stomach  became  all  swollen.  Then  he  let 
the  bench  down  again. 

The  alderman  asked  Katheline  if  she  would  now  acknow- 
ledge her  crime.  She  made  a  sign  in  the  negative.  And  the 
torturer  poured  more  hot  water  into  her  ;  but  this  Katheline 
brought  all  up  again. 

Then  by  the  advice  of  the  doctor  she  was  released.  But 
she  did  not  speak  a  word,  only  beat  her  breast  as  much  as  to 
say  that  the  hot  water  had  burned  her.  When  the  torturer  saw 
that  she  was  recovered  from  this  first  ordeal,  he  said  to  her  : 

"  Confess  that  you  are  a  witch,  and  that  you  laid  a  charm 
on  the  cow." 

"  I  will  confess  no  such  thing,"  replied  Katheline.  "  I 
am  here  in  your  power.  Nevertheless,  I  tell  you  that  an 
animal  can  die  of  an  illness,  just  as  a  man  can,  and  in  spite  of 
all  the  help  of  surgeons  and  of  doctors.  And  I  swear  by  Our 
Lord  Christ  who  was  pleased  to  die  upon  the  Cross  for  our  sins, 
that  I  wished  to  do  no  harm  to  this  cow,  but  simply  to  cure  her 
by  well-known  remedies." 

Thereat  the  alderman  was  angry  and  cried  out : 

"  This  devil's  drab,  she  cannot  go  on  lying  for  ever  ! 
Put  her  to  the  second  torture." 

Then  he  drank  a  large  glass  of  brandy. 

The  torturer  meanwhile  sat  Katheline  down  on  the  lid  of 
an  oak  coffin  which  was  placed  on  trestles.  Now  the  coffin- 
lid  was  pointed  like  a  roof,  and  the  edge  of  it  was  as  sharp  as  a 
sword.  A  great  fire  was  burning  in  the  fireplace,  for  it  was 
the  month  of  November.  Katheline,  seated  on  the  edge 
of  the  coffin-lid,  had  her  feet  shod  in  shoes  of  new  leather 
several  sizes  too  small  for  her,  and  then  she  was  placed  in 

57 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

front  of  the  fire.  When  she  began  to  feel  the  sharp  wood  of 
the  coffin-lid  cutting  into  her  flesh,  and  when  her  shoes 
began  to  shrink  under  the  heat  of  the  fire,  Katheline  cried 
aloud : 

"  Oh,  agony !  Will  no  one  give  me  a  draught  of  black 
poison  ? " 

"  Put  her  nearer  the  fire,"  said  the  alderman. 

Then  he  inquired  of  her  : 

"  How  often,  pray,  have  you  ridden  on  a  broom  to  the 
Witches'  Sabbath  ?  And  how  many  times  have  you  caused  the 
corn  to  wither  in  the  ear,  and  the  fruit  on  the  tree,  and  the 
babe  in  the  womb  of  its  mother  ?  And  turned  most  loving 
brothers  into  sworn  enemies,  and  sisters  into  rivals  full  of 
hatred  ?  " 

Katheline  would  have  answered  if  she  had  been  able. 
But  she  could  only  move  her  arms,  as  if  to  say  "  No."  But 
the  alderman  said  : 

"  I  see  she  will  not  speak  till  she  has  felt  her  witch's  fat 
all  melting  in  the  fire.  Put  her  nearer." 

Katheline  cried  out.     But  the  alderman  said  : 

"  You  had  better  ask  Satan,  your  friend,  to  refresh  you." 

And  now  her  shoes  were  beginning  to  smoke  in  the  heat 
of  the  fire,  so  that  she  made  a  gesture  as  if  to  try  and  take 
them  off. 

"  Ask  Satan  to  help  you,"  said  the  alderman. 

Ten  o'clock  struck.  It  was  the  madman's  dinner  hour. 
And  he  retired  with  the  torturer  and  the  clerk  of  the  court, 
leaving  Katheline  alone  in  front  of  the  fire  in  the  place  of 
torture. 

An  hour  later  they  returned.  Katheline  was  still  sitting 
there  stiff  and  motionless.  The  clerk  said  : 

"  I  think  she  is  dead." 

The  alderman  commanded  the  torturer  to  remove  Kathe- 
line from  the  coffin-lid,  and  to  take  off  the  shoes  from  her 
feet.  This  he  could  not  do,  so  that  he  was  forced  to  cut  them, 

58 


Katheline  s  Punishment 

and  Katheline's  feet  were  exposed  to  view,  all  red  and  bleed- 
ing. The  alderman,  whose  thoughts  were  still  with  his 
dinner,  gazed  at  her  without  a  word.  But  after  a  while 
she  came  to  her  senses,  and  fell  upon  the  ground,  nor 
was  she  able  to  get  up  again  in  spite  of  many  attempts. 
Then  she  said  to  the  alderman  : 

"  Once  you  desired  me  for  your  wife.  But  now  you  shall 
have  none  of  me  !  Four  times  three  is  the  sacred,  number, 
and  my  husband  is  the  thirteenth" 

The  alderman  was  going  to  answer  her,  but  she  forestalled 
him : 

"  Be  silent.  His  hearing  is  more  delicate  than  that  of  the 
archangel  in  heaven  who  counts  the  heart-beats  of  the  just. 
Why  are  you  so  late  ?  Four  times  three  is  the  sacred  number. 
He  killeth  those  who  hold  me  in  desire." 

The  alderman  said  : 

"  It  seems  she  welcomes  the  devil  to  her  bed  !  " 

"  The  pains  of  the  torture  have  turned  her  brain,"  said 
the  clerk. 

So  Katheline  was  taken  back  into  prison.  And  three 
days  later  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  aldermen  in  the 
Council  Hall ;  and  after  some  deliberation  Katheline  was 
condemned  to  suffer  the  ordeal  by  fire. 

She  was  taken  to  the  grand  market  of  Damme  by  the 
torturer  and  his  assistants.  There  she  was  made  to  mount 
the  scaffold.  In  the  square  were  assembled  the  provost,  the 
herald,  and  the  judges.  The  herald  sounded  his  trumpet 
thrice,  then  turned  towards  the  crowd  and  made  the  following 
announcement : 

"  The  Council  of  Damme,"  he  cried,  "  having  taken  pity 
upon  the  woman  Katheline,  have  decreed  that  punishment 
shall  not  be  exacted  to  the  full  extremity  of  the  rigour  of  our 
laws.  Nevertheless,  in  witness  that  she  is  a  sorceress,  her 
hair  shall  be  burned,  she  shall  pay  a  fine  of  twenty  carolus  d'or, 
and  she  shall  be  banished  from  the  territory  of  Damme  for 

59 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

the  space  of  three  years,  under  penalty  of  losing  one  of  her 
limbs." 

And  at  this  rough  gentleness  the  people  broke  into 
applause. 

Then  the  torturer  tied  Katheline  to  the  stake,  placed  on 
her  shorn  scalp  a  wig  of  tow,  and  held  it  in  the  fire.  And 
the  tow  burned  for  a  long  time,  and  Katheline  cried  aloud 
and  wept. 

Then  they  released  her,  and  she  was  put  in  a  cart  and  taken 
away  outside  the  territory  of  Damme.  She  could  not  walk 
at  all,  because  of  her  feet  that  were  burned. 

XXVI 

Ulenspiegel,  meanwhile,  had  arrived  in  his  wanderings  at 
the  fish-market  at  Liege.  There  he  descried  a  tall  young 
fellow  carrying  under  his  arm  a  net  filled  with  all  sorts  of 
poultry,  and  another  net  also  which  he  was  rapidly  filling 
with  haddock,  trout,  eels,  and  pike. 

Ulenspiegel  recognized  him  as  none  other  than  his  old 
friend  Lamme  Goedzak. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  Lamme  ?  "  he  said. 

"  You  must  know,"  Lamme  answered,  "  that  many 
people  have  lately  emigrated  from  Flanders  to  this  gentle 
land  of  Liege.  As  for  me,  I  follow  my  loves.  And  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  on  the  look-out  for  a  master  to  serve  for  my  daily 
bread,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Bread  is  a  dry  sort  of  nourishment,"  said  Lamme. 
"  You  would  do  better  to  try  a  chaplet  of  ortolans  with  a 
thrush  for  the  Credo" 

"  You  have  plenty  of  money  ?  "  Ulenspiegel  inquired. 

Lamme  Goedzak  made  answer  : 

"  I  have  lost  my  father  and  mother,  and  that  young 
sister  of  mine  that  used  to  beat  me  so.     I  shall  inherit  all 
their  property,  and  now  I  am  living  with  a  one-eyed  servant 
who  is  very  learned  in  the  noble  art  of  making  fricassees." 
60 


Lamme  in  Love 

"  Would  you  like  me  to  carry  your  fish  and  your  poultry 
for  you  ?  "  suggested  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Yes,"  said  Lamme. 

And  together  they  began  to  wander  through  the  market. 
All  at  once  Lamme  said  to  his  companion  : 

"  You  are  mad.     Do  you  know  why  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Because  you  go  carrying  fish  and  poultry  in  your  hand 
instead  of  in  your  stomach." 

"  You  are  right,  Lamme,"  said  Ulenspiegel ;  "  but  since  I 
have  lacked  bread,  ortolans  will  not  even  look  at  me." 

"  You  shall  eat  your  fill  of  them,"  said  Lamme,  "  and 
serve  me  too,  if  my  cook  takes  a  fancy  to  you." 

While  they  were  walking  along,  Lamme  pointed  out  to 
Ulenspiegel  a  beautiful  young  girl,  who  was  walking  through 
the  market.  She  wore  a  silk  dress  and  gazed  at  Lamme 
with  sweet  and  gentle  eyes.  An  old  man,  her  father, 
walked  just  behind,  carrying  two  nets,  one  filled  with  fish, 
the  other  with  game. 

"  See  that  girl  ?  "  said  Lamme,  pointing  at  her.  "  I  am 
going  to  marry  her.'" 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  I  know  her.  She  is  a  Flemish 
maid  from  Zotteghem.  She  lives  in  the  rue  Vinave-d'Isle, 
and  the  neighbours  say  that  she  lets  her  mother  sweep  the  road 
in  front  of  the  house  in  her  stead,  while  her  own  father  irons 
her  underclothing." 

To  this  Lamme  made  no  answer,  but  exclaimed  de- 
lightedly : 

"  She  looked  at  me  just  now !  " 

By  this  time  they  were  come  to  Lamme's  lodging,  near  the 
Pont-des-Arches.  They  knocked  at  the  door,  and  a  one-eyed 
servant  opened  to  them.  Ulenspiegel  saw  that  she  was  old, 
scraggy,  lank,  and  fierce  of  aspect. 

Lamme  addressed  her  as  La  Sanginne,  and  inquired  if  she 
would  take  Ulenspiegel  to  help  in  the  kitchen. 

61 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  I  will  give  him  a  trial,"  she  said. 

"  Then  take  him,"  said  Lamme,  "  and  let  him  also  make 
trial  of  the  delights  of  your  kitchen." 

La  Sanginne  put  three  black  puadings  on  the  table,  a 
pint  of  ale,  and  a  large  loaf  of  bread.  Ulenspiegel  set  to  with 
a  will,  and  Lamme  began  to  nibble  at  one  of  the  puddings. 

"  Know  you,"  Lamme  asked  presently,  "  where  it  is  that 
our  souls  abide  ?  " 

"  No,  Lamme,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  In  our  stomachs,"  Lamme  told  him,  "  so  they  can 
keep  them  excavated  continually,  and  for  ever  renew  in 
our  bodies  the  impulse  for  life.  And  who  are  the  best  com- 
panions for  a  man  ?  I'll  tell  you.  The  best  companions 
for  a  man  are  all  good  and  jolly  things  to  eat,  and  wine  from 
the  Meuse  to  crown  all !  " 

"  True,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  A  pudding  is  good  company 
to  a  solitary  soul." 

"  He's  still  hungry,"  said  Lamme  to  La  Sanginne.   "  Give 
him  some  more."     And  the  woman  served  him  with  a  second 
portion  of  pudding — white  this  time. 
"  While  Ulenspiegel  went  on  eating,  Lamme  grew  thoughtful. 

"  When  I  die,"  said  he,  "  my  stomach  will  die  with  me, 
and  down  there  in  purgatory  they  will  leave  me  to  fast,  and  I 
shall  have  to  carry  my  poor  belly  about  with  me,  all  empty 
and  limp." 

"  I  like  the  black  ones  best,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  You  have  eaten  six  already,"  said  La  Sanginne,  "  and 
you  won't  have  any  more." 

"  You  may  be  sure,"  said  Lamme,  "  that  you  will  be 
well  treated  here,  and  you  will  have  just  the  same  to  eat 
as  I  do." 

"  I  shall  remember  this  promise  of  yours,"  said  Ulen- 
spiegel. But  seeing  that  what  his  friend  had  told  him  was  the 
truth,  Ulenspiegel  was  well  content,  and  the  puddings  that 
he  had  swallowed  gave  him  such  courage  that  on  that  very 
62 


La  Sanginne 

day  he  polished  the  kettles  and  the  pots  and  the  pans  till 
they  shone  like  the  sun.  And  he  lived  happily  in  that 
house,  frequenting  willingly  the  kitchen  and  the  wine-cellar, 
and  leaving  the  loft  to  the  cats. 

One  day  La  Sanginne  had  two  poulets  to  roast,  and  she 
asked  Ulenspiegel  to  turn  the  spit  while  she  went  to  market 
for  some  herbs  for  a  seasoning.  The  two  poulets  being  well 
roasted,  Ulenspiegel  took  one  of  them  and  ate  it.  When 
La  Sanginne  returned  from  the  market  she  remarked  : 

"  There  were  two  poulets,  but  now  I  can  only  see  one." 

"  Just  open  your  other  eye,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  and 
you  will  see  the  two  of  them  all  right !  " 

But  she  was  angry,  and  went  to  Lamme  Goedzak  to  tell 
him  what  had  happened.  Lamme  came  down  into  the 
kitchen  and  said  to  Ulenspiegel : 

"  Why  do  you  make  fun  of  my  serving-maid  ?  There 
were  certainly  two  poulets." 

"  There  were"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  but  when  I  came  you 
told  me  that  I  was  to  eat  and  drink  just  as  much  as  you. 
There  were  two  poulets.  Very  well.  I  have  eaten  one, 
and  you  will  eat  the  other.  My  pleasure  is  over.  Yours  is 
still  to  come.  Are  you  not  happier  than  I  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Lamme  smiling,  "  but  just  you  do  what  La 
Sanginne  tells  you,  and  you'll  find  your  work  halved." 

"  I  will  be  careful  to  do  as  you  say,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

So  every  time  that  La  Sanginne  told  him  to  do  anything 
he  did  but  the  half  of  it.  If  she  asked  him  to  go  and  draw  two 
pails  of  water  he  would  only  bring  back  one  ;  and  if  she  told 
him  to  go  and  fill  a  pot  of  ale  at  the  cask,  he  would  pour  the 
half  of  it  down  his  throat  on  the  way — and  so  on  and 
so  on. 

At  last  La  Sanginne  grew  tired  of  these  goings  on,  and  she 
told  Lamme  that  either  this  good-for-nothing  fellow  must 
leave  the  house  or  she  must  leave  herself. 

Lamme  descended  on  Ulenspiegel  and  told  him  : 

63 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  You'll  have  to  go,  my  son,  notwithstanding  that  you 
have  looked  so  much  better  in  health  since  you  have  been 
here.  Listen  to  that  cock  crowing.  And  it's  two  o'clock 
of  the  afternoon  !  That  means  rain.  I  am  sorry  to  have  to 
put  you  out  of  doors  in  bad  weather.  But  there,  my  son, 
you  know  that  La  Sanginne  is  the  guardian  angel  of  my  life, 
with  her  lovely  fricassees.  If  she  were  to  leave  me  I  might 
die  a  speedy  death.  I  cannot  risk  it.  Go  then,  my  boy,, 
and  God  be  with  you,  and  here  are  three  florins  and  this 
string  of  saveloys  to  liven  your  journey." 

And  Ulenspiegel  departed,  crestfallen  and  with  many- 
regrets  for  Lamme  and  his  kitchen. 

XXVII 

There  was  a  rumour  abroad  that  the  Emperor  Charles 
was  going  to  annul  the  right  of  the  monks  to  inherit  the  estates 
of  those  who  happened  to  die  in  their  convents,  a  thing  which 
was  very  displeasing  to  the  Pope. 

One  day  when  Ulenspiegel  was  come  to  fish  from  the  banks 
of  the  river  Meuse,  he  was  thinking  to  himself  that  by  the 
above  action  the  Emperor  would  stand  to  profit  both  ways, 
since  he  would  inherit  the  said  estates,  while  the  family  of  the 
deceased  would  inherit  nothing  at  all.  Pondering  these 
thoughts,  he  carefully  baited  his  hook,  and  then  sat  down  by 
the  river-side.  And  he  began  to  nibble  at  a  piece  of  stale 
brown  bread,  regretting  the  while  that  he  had  no  good 
Romagna  wine  wherewith  to  wash  it  down.  Still,  he  thought., 
one  cannot  always  have  everything  just  as  one  would  like. 
And  all  the  time  he  kept  on  throwing  little  pieces  of  his  bread 
into  the  water,  saying  to  himself  that  no  man  deserves  a  meal 
who  will  not  share  it  with  his  neighbours. 

Now  it  was  that  a  gudgeon  came  upon  the  scene,  attracted 
in  the  first  place  by  the  odour  of  bread-crumbs  ;  and  he  licked 
up  the  bread  with  his  lips  and  opened  his  mouth  for  more, 
thinking  no  doubt  in  his  innocence  that  the  bread  would  fall 
64 


Parable  of  the  Pike 

into  his  gullet  of  itself.  But  while  gazing  thus  in  the  air  the 
gudgeon  was  suddenly  swallowed  up  by  a  treacherous  pike 
who  had  hurled  himself  upon  him  like  a  flash  of  lightning. 

Now  the  pike  played  a  similar  trick  upon  a  carp  who  was 
catching  flies  on  the  top  of  the  water  without  any  fear  of 
danger.  And  after  this  good  meal  the  pike  stayed  motion- 
less below  the  surface  of  the  water,  disdainful  of  the  smaller 
fry,  who,  indeed,  were  only  too  glad  to  swim  away  from  him  of 
their  own  accord  and  as  fast  as  ever  they  could.  But  while 
the  pike  was  taking  his  ease  in  this  manner,  a  second  pike 
came  up  ;  and  he  was  a  hungry  pike,  and  his  mouth  was 
open  wide,  for  as  yet  he  had  not  breakfasted.  With  a  bound 
the  new  arrival  threw  himself  upon  his  brother,  and  a  furious 
combat  ensued.  They  lashed  at  one  another  with  their  fins, 
the  water  was  red  with  their  blood.  The  pike  that  had  eaten 
defended  himself  but  feebly  against  the  assaults  of  the  hungry 
one  ;  nevertheless,  backing  a  little,  he  took  courage  again 
and  threw  himself  like  a  bullet  against  his  adversary.  The 
latter  awaited  this  new  attack  with  open  jaws,  which  did  not 
close  until  more  than  half  of  his  assailant's  head  had  dis- 
appeared between  them.  Now  they  tried  to  free  themselves, 
but  could  not  because  of  the  hooked  teeth  of  the  one  that 
had  become  embedded  in  the  flesh  of  the  other.  And  so 
they  battled  against  each  other  in  despair.  Nor  did  they 
notice,  interlocked  as  they  were,  the  strong  fish-hook  at  the 
end  of  a  silken  cord,  which  rose  towards  them  from  the 
depths  of  the  water.  In  another  moment  it  had  embedded 
itself  in  the  body  of  the  pike  that  had  dined,  and  the  two 
struggling  fish  found  themselves  drawn  out  of  the  water  and 
laid  together  on  the  grass  without  the  least  deference. 

As  he  killed  them  Ulenspiegel  said  : 

"  Ha  ha,  my  little  pikes,  I  will  call  you  the  Pope 
and  the  Emperor,  that  prey  ever  one  upon  the  other ;  but  I, 
forsooth,  am  the  Common  Man  that  shall  catch  you  on  his 
hook,  in  God's  good  time,  and  make  an  end  of  your  battles  !  " 

E  65 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

XXVIII 

In  the  meantime  Nele  was  taking  care  of  Katheline,  who 
was  still  out  of  her  mind  and  who  called  continually  upon 
Hanske,  her  ice-cold  lover.  But  sometimes  Nele  would  leave 
her  mother  safely  guarded  in  the  house  of  some  kindly 
neighbour,  and  herself  would  wander  far  and  wide  and  all 
alone,  even  unto  Antwerp,  searching  ever,  among  the  ships 
on  the  river,  or  along  the  dusty  roads,  for  Ulenspiegel. 

And  at  home,  also,  in  the  house  of  Claes,  it  was  evil  days. 
Claes  worked  sadly  on  his  land  alone,  for  there  was  not 
enough  work  for  two.  And  Soetkin  stayed  in  the  cottage 
by  herself,  cooking  the  beans  which  formed  their  daily  fare 
in  a  hundred  different  ways,  so  that  she  might  have  something 
to  enliven  her  husband's  appetite.  And  she  sang  and  laughed 
all  the  time,  so  that  he  might  not  be  grieved  by  seeing  her 
unhappy. 

One  day  a  man  on  horseback  drew  up  in  front  of  the 
cottage.  He  was  dressed  all  in  black,  he  was  very  thin,  and 
very  sad  of  countenance. 

"  Is  any  one  within  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  God  bless  your  sadness,"  answered  Soetkin,  "  but  am  I  a 
phantom,  that  seeing  me  here  you  must  yet  inquire  if  there  is 
any  one  within  ?  " 

"  Where  is  your  father  ?  "  asked  the  horseman. 

"  If  my  father's  name  is  Claes,  he  is  over  there,"  Soetkin 
told  him.  "  You  will  find  him  sowing  corn." 

The  horseman  departed  in  the  direction  in  which  she  had 
pointed,  and  Soetkin  also  went  her  way  ruefully,  for  this  was 
the  sixth  time  that  she  had  had  to  go  to  the  baker's  to  buy 
bread  with  no  money  to  pay  for  it. 

On  returning  empty-handed  to  the  cottage,  Soetkin  was 
amazed  to  see  Claes  coming  down  the  road  triumphantly 
seated  on  the  horse  of  the  man  in  black.     He  looked  very 
proud  of  himself,  and  the  man  in  black  walked  by  his  side 
66 


Josse  the  Benefactor 

holding  the  horse's  bridle.  Hanging  at  his  side,  Claes  held  a 
leathern  bag  which  appeared  to  be  full  of  things.  Dismount- 
ing from  the  horse,  Claes  embraced  his  companion,  gave  him  a 
playful  pat  upon  the  back,  and  then,  shaking  the  bag,  cried 
out  in  a  loud  voice  : 

"  Long  life  to  Josse,  my  brother,  the  good  hermit  of 
Meyborg !  May  God  keep  him  in  joy  and  fatness,  in  happi- 
ness and  health  !  Our  Josse,  patron  of  plenty,  and  of  all 
abundance,  and  rich  soups  !  " 

And  so  saying  he  took  up  the  sack  and  deposited  it  upon 
the  table.  But  Soetkin  said  sadly  : 

"  My  good  man,  we  shall  not  eat  this  day.  The  baker  has 
refused  to  give  me  any  bread." 

"  Bread  ?  "  cried  Claes,  opening  the  sack  and  letting  a 
river  of  golden  coins  roll  out  on  the  table.  "  Bread  ?  Here  is 
bread  and  butter,  meat,  wine,  beer !  Here  are  hams,  marrow- 
bones, pasties,  ortolans,  fatted  poulets,  castrelins,  all  just  as 
you  might  find  them  in  the  houses  of  the  rich  !  Bread 
indeed  !  Here  are  casks  of  beer  and  kegs  of  wine  !  Mad 
must  be  the  baker  who  will  refuse  to  give  us  bread.  Verily 
we  will  deal  at  his  shop  no  more  !  " 

"  But,  my  good  man  !  "  said  Soetkin  amazed. 

"  Nay,  listen,"  said  Claes,  "  and  make  the  most  of  your 
good  fortune.  For  these  are  the  facts.  Katheline,  it  seems, 
has  lately  been  to  Meyborg  in  Germany,  and  Nele  with  her, 
on  a  visit  to  my  eldest  brother  Josse,  who  dwells  there  as  a 
hermit.  Nele  told  my  brother  how  that  we  were  living  in 
poverty,  notwithstanding  that  we  work  so  hard.  And  now, 
if  we  are  to  believe  this  good  messenger  " — and  here  Claes 
pointed  to  the  black  horseman — "Josse  has  left  the  holy  Roman 
religion  and  abandoned  himself  to  the  heresy  of  Luther." 

The  man  in  black  made  answer : 

"  It  is  they  that  are  heretics,  they  who  follow  the  cult  of 
the  Scarlet  Woman.  For  the  Pope  is  a  cheat  and  a  trader  in 
holy  things." 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 


"  Oh  !  "  cried  Soetkin,  "  speak  not  so  loud,  sir.  You  will 
have  us  burned  alive,  all  three." 

"  Well,"  continued  Claes,  "  it  appears  that  Josse  has  made 
known  to  this  good  messenger  that  inasmuch  as  he  is  going 
to  fight  in  the  army  of  Frederic  of  Saxony,  and  is  bringing 
him  fifty  armed  men  fully  equipped,  he  has  no  need  of  much 
money  to  leave  it  to  the  hands  of  some  wretch  of  a  lands- 
knecht,  now  that  he  himself  is  going  to  the  war.  Therefore, 
says  he,  take  it  to  my  brother  Claes,  and  render  to  him,  with 
my  blessing,  these  seven  hundred  florins.  Tell  him  to  live 
virtuously,  and  to  ponder  the  salvation  of  his  soul." 

"  Yea,  verily,"  said  the  horseman,  "  now  is  the  time. 
For  God  will  reward  every  man  according  to  his  works,  and 
every  man  according  to  his  merit." 

"  Good  sir,"  said  Claes,  "it  is  not  forbidden,  I  trust,  to 
rejoice  in  the  meantime  at  this  good  news  ?  Deign,  then, 
to  stay  with  us,  and  we  will  celebrate  our  fortune  with  a  nice 
dinner  of  tripe,  well  boiled,  and  a  knuckle  of  that  ham  which 
I  saw  just  now  at  the  pork-butcher's.  Of  a  truth,  it  looked  so 
plump  and  tasty  that  my  teeth  almost  shot  out  of  my  mouth 
to  close  thereon." 

"  Alas  !  "  said  the  stranger,  "  the  foolish  make  merry 
while  the  eye  of  the  Lord  is  yet  upon  them." 

"  Come  now,  messenger,"  said  Claes,  "  will  you  eat  and 
drink  with  us  or  will  you  not  ?  " 

The  man  answered :  "  It  will  be  time  enough  for  the 
faithful  to  think  about  such  earthly  joys  when  mighty 
Babylon  has  fallen." 

Seeing  Claes  and  Soetkin  cross  themselves,  he  made  as 
though  to  leave  them.  But  Claes  said  to  him  : 

"  Since  you  persist  in  leaving  us  without  accepting  of 
our  hospitality,  will  you  at  least  give  to  my  brother  the 
kiss  of  peace  on  my  behalf,  and  look  after  him  well  at  the 
wars." 

"  That  will  I,"  said  the  man. 
68 


A  Letter  from  Philip 

And  he  departed  from  them,  while  Soetkin  went  to  make 
her  preparations  for  celebrating  their  good  fortune. 

Now  it  was  quickly  noised  abroad  through  the  town 
that  Claes  that  was  once  so  poor  had  now  become  rich 
through  the  generosity  of  his  brother  Josse.  And  the  Dean 
of  Damme  was  heard  to  say  that  it  was  Katheline  no  doubt 
who  had  laid  a  charm  on  Josse,  and  he  said  this  because 
Claes,  although  he  had  received  a  large  sum  of  money  from 
his  brother,  had  given  not  so  much  as  a  single  vestment  to 
Notre  Dame.  But  Claes  and  Soetkin  were  happy  again, 
Claes  working  in  the  fields  or  looking  after  his  business  of 
charcoal-burning,  while  Soetkin  attended  to  her  home  right 
valiantly.  Yet  still  was  she  sorrowful  at  heart,  scanning 
ever  with  her  eyes  the  open  road  if  perchance  she  might  see 
her  son  Ulenspiegel  returning  back  to  her.  And  thus  it  was 
these  three  lived  on  and  experienced  the  happiness  which 
comes  from  God  while  waiting  for  that  which  was  going  to 
come  to  them  from  men. 

XXIX 

The  Emperor  Charles  had  received  a  letter  from  England, 
from  Philip,  who  was  now  married  to  the  Queen  of  that 
country. 

"  SIR  AND  FATHER,"  the  letter  ran, — "  It  is  matter  of  sore 
displeasure  to  me  that  I  should  have  to  live  in  a  country  like 
this  where  the  accursed  heretics  swarm  like  fleas  and  worms 
and  locusts.  Fire  and  sword  are  needed  to  remove  them 
from  the  trunk  of  that  tree  of  life  which  is  our  Holy  Mother 
the  Church.  And,  as  if  this  were  not  trouble  enough,  I  have 
also  to  put  up  with  being  regarded  not  as  a  King  but  merely 
as  the  husband  of  the  Queen  ;  for  in  very  truth  apart  from 
her  I  am  destitute  of  all  authority.  And  the  English  make 
mock  of  me,  spreading  broadcast  the  most  shameful  pamphlets 
which  assert  that  I  am  being  bribed  by  the  Pope  to  afflict 
their  country  with  every  kind  of  impious  burning  and  perse- 

69 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

cution.  Nor  can  I  discover  who  it  is  that  writes  these 
pamphlets,  nor  yet  who  prints  them.  And  when  I  try  to 
raise  from  the  people  some  necessary  contribution  (for  in 
their  malice  and  wickedness  they  often  leave  me  without 
any  money  at  all),  they  answer  by  advising  me,  in  coarse 
lampoons,  to  ask  of  Satan  in  whose  pay  I  am.  Parliament 
makes  excuses  for  fear  of  my  sting,  but  I  can  get  nothing 
out  of  them.  And  meanwhile  the  walls  of  London  are 
covered  with  the  grossest  pictures  representing  me  as  a 
parricide  who  is  ready  -to  strike  down  your  Majesty  for  the 
sake  of  my  inheritance.  But  well  you  know,  my  Lord  and 
Father,  that  notwithstanding  all  the  hopes  of  a  legitimate 
ambition,  I  most  certainly  desire  that  your  Majesty  may 
enjoy  yet  long  and  glorious  years  of  rule.  Furthermore, 
there  are  circulating  through  the  city  certain  engravings  on 
copper  which  show  me  torturing  animals  and  laughing  the 
while.  But  well  you  know,  Sire,  that  if  ever  it  has  happened 
to  me  to  taste  this  profane  pleasure,  I  have  surely  never 
laughed  thereat.  But  they  try  to  make  out  that  this  innocent 
sport  is  a  sort  of  crime,  despite  the  fact  that  animals  have  no 
souls,  and  although  it  is  assuredly  permitted  to  all  men, 
especially  if  they  be  of  Royal  birth,  to  make  use  of  brute  beasts 
even  unto  death  for  purposes  of  honest  recreation.  But  in 
this  land  of  England  the  people  are  so  fond  of  animals  that 
they  treat  their  animals  better  than  their  own  servants. 
The  stables  and  dog-kennels  are  kept  like  palaces,  and  I 
have  known  great  lords  who  pass  the  night  on  the  same 
litter  with  their  horse.  To  crown  all,  my  noble  Wife  and 
Queen  is  barren,  and  these  people  have  the  outrageous 
effrontery  to  declare  that  I  am  to  blame  and  not  she,  who  is 
in  other  respects  a  most  jealous  and  intractable  woman,  and 
amorous  to  excess.  Sir  and  Father,  I  pray  daily  that  the 
Lord  God  may  have  me  in  his  grace,  and  I  live  in  hopes 
that  another  throne  may  be  given  me,  even  though  it  be 
with  the  Turk,  what  time  I  still  await  that  other  glorious 
70 


The  Emperor  s  Answer 

throne  to  which  I  shall  be  one  day  called  by  the  honour 
of  being  the  son  of  your  very  Glorious  and  Victorious 
Majesty.  (Signed)  PHLE." 

To  this  letter  the  Emperor  made  reply  in  the  following 
terms  : 

"  SIR  AND  SON, — You  have  bitter  enemies,  I  do  not 
dispute  it ;  but  you  must  try  to  endure  them  without  vexa- 
tion in  anticipation  of  the  yet  more  brilliant  crown  that  shall 
be  yours  hereafter.  I  have  already  made  it  widely  known 
that  I  am  determined  to  retire  from  my  lordship  over  the 
Low  Countries  and  other  of  my  dominions,  for  I  am  growing 
old  and  gouty,  and  I  know  that  I  shall  not  long  be  able  to 
withstand  King  Henry  the  Second  of  France,  for  Fortune 
ever  favours  the  young.  You  should  remember  also  that  so 
long  as  you  are  master  of  England,  you  will  be  as  a  thorn  in 
the  side  of  our  enemy  France.  Truly  I  suffered  a  nasty 
defeat  at  Metz,  and  lost  there  near  forty  thousand  men. 
I  was  compelled  to  retreat  before  the  King  of  Saxony.  If 
God  does  not  soon  see  fit  by  a  stroke  of  His  good  and  divine 
will  to  re-establish  me  in  the  force  and  vigour  of  my  prime, 
I  am  inclined,  Sir  and  Son,  to  quit  my  kingdoms  altogether 
and  to  leave  them  to  you. 

"  Have  patience  therefore,  and  do  your  duty  meanwhile 
against  the  heretics,  sparing  none  of  them,  man,  woman, 
girl,  or  child,  for  I  am  credibly  informed  that  Madame  your 
Queen  has  been  minded  to  treat  them  mercifully,  and  this 
is  a  great  grief  to  me. 

"  Your  affectionate  father, 

"(Signed)    CHARLES." 

XXX 

Ulenspiegel  had  been  long  upon  the  road.  His  feet  were 
bleeding,  but  in  the  district  of  the  bishopric  of  Mayence  he 

71 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

met  a  wagon  full  of  pilgrims  who  invited  him  to  join  them, 
and  they  carried  him  with  them  to  Rome. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  city  Ulenspiegel  got  down  from 
the  wagon,  and  straightway  noticed  a  charming-looking 
woman  standing  at  the  door  of  an  inn.  She  smiled  when 
she  saw  him  looking  at  her. 

Taking  this  kindly  humour  of  hers  for  a  good  omen  : 

"  Hostess,"  says  he,  "  will  you  give  asile,  pray,  to  a  poor 
pilgrim  on  pilgrimage  who  has  carried  his  full  time  and  is 
about  to  be  delivered  of  his  sins  ?  " 

"  We  give  asile  to  all  such  as  pay  us  for  it,"  said  the 
woman. 

"  I  have  a  hundred  ducats  in  my  purse,"  said  Ulenspiegel 
(who,  in  fact,  had  no  more  than  one),  "  and  I  would  dearly 
like  to  spend  the  first  of  them  in  your  pleasant  company  and 
over  a  bottle  of  old  Roman  wine." 

"  Wine  is  not  dear  in  these  holy  parts,"  she  answered. 
"Come  in  and  drink  your  fill.  It  will  only  cost  you  a 
soldo." 

And  they  twain  drank  together  for  so  long,  and  emptied 
so  many  bottles  of  wine  and  all  to  the  tune  of  such  pleasant 
conversation,  that  the  hostess  was  constrained  to  order  her 
servant  to  serve  the  customers  in  her  place,  while  she  and 
Ulenspiegel  retired  into  a  room  at  the  back  of  the  inn,  a 
marble  chamber,  cool  as  a  winter's  day,  where,  leaning  her 
head  on  her  new  friend's  shoulder,  she  demanded  of  him  who 
he  might  be. 

And  Ulenspiegel  answered  her  : 

"  I  am  Lord  of  Geeland,  Count  of  Gavergeeten,  Baron  of 
Tuchtendeel.  I  was  born  at  Damme,  in  Flanders,  and  I 
hold  there  for  my  estate  five  and  twenty  acres  of  moonlight." 

"  What  land  is  that  whence  you  come  ?  "  the  hostess 
asked  him,  drinking  from  Ulenspiegel's  tankard. 

"  It  is  a  misty  land,"  he  told  her,  "  a  land  of  illusion, 
where  are  sown  the  seeds  of  false  hopes  and  of  castles  in  the 
72 


Pope  Julius  III 

air.  But  you,  sweet  hostess  mine,  were  born  in  no  such  land 
of  moonlight,  you  with  your  amber  skin  and  your  eyes  that 
shine  like  pearls.  For  bright  is  the  sunshine  that  has  coloured 
that  browned  gold  of  your  hair,  and  it  is  Lady  Venus  herself 
who,  without  a  single  pang  of  jealousy,  has  formed  your  soft 
shoulders,  and  your  prancing  breasts,  your  rounded  arms,  your 
delicate  sweet  hands.  Say,  shall  we  sup  together  this  night  ?  " 

"  Fine  pilgrim  that  you  are  from  Flanders,"  says  she, 
"  say,  why  are  you  come  hither  ?  " 

"  To  have  a  talk  with  the  Pope,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Heavens ! "  she  cried,  clasping  her  hands  together, 
"  and  that  is  something  that  even  myself,  a  native  of  the 
country,  have  never  been  able  to  do  !  " 

"  Yet  shall  I,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  But  know  you  where  the  Pope  lives,  what  he  is  like, 
what  are  his  habits  and  his  ways  of  life  ?  " 

"  I  heard  all  about  him  on  the  way,"  answered  Ulen- 
spiegel. "  His  name  is  Julius  III.  Wanton  he  is,  and  gay 
and  dissolute,  a  good  talker,  that  never  falters  for  a  clever 
repartee.  I  have  also  heard  that  he  has  taken  an  extra- 
ordinary fancy  to  a  little  dirty  beggar  of  a  man — a  dark  fellow 
and  a  rude  who  used  to  wander  about  with  a  monkey  asking 
for  alms.  He  came  to  the  Pope,  and  the  Pope,  it  seems,  has 
made  a  Cardinal  of  him,  and  now  gets  quite  ill  if  a  single  day 
passes  without  their  meeting." 

"  Have  some  more  to  drink,"  said  the  landlady,  "  and  do 
not  speak  so  loud." 

."  I  have  also  heard,"  continued  Ulenspiegel,  "  that  one 
day  he  swore  like  a  soldier,  Al  dispetto  di  Dio,  potta  di  Dio, 
'  and  all  because  they  did  not  bring  him  the  cold  peacock 
that  he  had  ordered  to  be  kept  for  his  supper.  And  he 
excused  himself,  saying,  '  If  my  Master  was  angered  over 
an  apple,  I,  who  am  the  vicar  of  God,  can  certainly  swear  an 
oath  about  a  pheasant ! '  You  see,  my  pet,  I  know  the  Pope 
very  well,  and  understand  just  what  sort  of  a  man  he  is ! " 

73 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Oh  dear,"  she  said,  "  pray  be  careful  and  do  not  tell 
this  to  any  one  else.  But  still,  and  in  spite  of  all  you  tell 
me,  I  maintain  that  you  will  not  get  to  see  him." 

"  I  shall,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  I  will  wager  you  a  hundred  florins." 

"  They  are  mine  !  "  said  Ulenspiegel. 

The  very  next  day,  tired  as  he  was,  he  ran  through  all  the 
city  and  found  out  that  the  Pope  was  to  say  Mass  that  morn- 
ing at  the  Church  of  St.  John  Lateran.  Thither  Ulenspiegel 
repaired,  and  took  up  a  position  as  prominently  in  the  Pope's 
view  as  he  could.  And  every  time  that  the  Pope  elevated 
chalice  or  Host,  Ulenspiegel  turned  his  back  to  the  altar. 
Now  one  of  the  cardinals  was  officiating  with  the  Pope, 
swarthy  of  countenance  he  was,  malicious  and  corpulent ; 
and  on  his  shoulder  he  carried  a  monkey.  He  reported 
Ulenspiegel's  behaviour  to  the  Pope,  who  straightway  after 
Mass  sent  four  terrible-looking  soldiers  (such  as  one  finds  in 
those  warlike  lands)  to  seize  the  pilgrim. 

"  What  religion  do  you  profess  ?  "  the  Pope  asked  him. 

"  Most  Holy  Father,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  my  re- 
ligion is  the  same  as  my  landlady's." 

The  Pope  had  the  woman  fetched. 

"  What  is  your  religion  ?  "  he  asked  her. 

"  The  same  as  your  Holiness's,"  she  told  him. 

"  That  also  is  mine,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

The  Pope  asked  him  why  he  turned  his  back  upon  the 
Holy  Sacrament. 

"  I  felt  myself  unworthy  to  look  upon  it  face  to  face,"  he 
answered. 

"  You  are  a  pilgrim  ?  "  said  the  Pope. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  and  I  am  come  from 
Flanders  to  beg  remission  of  my  sins." 

The  Pope  absolved  and  blessed  him,  and  Ulenspiegel 
departed  in  the  company  of  his  landlady,  who  paid  over  to 
him  his  hundred  florins.  And  with  this  good  store  of  money 

74 


Sellers  of  Indulgences 

he  departed  from  Rome  and  set  out  to  return  again  to  the 
land  of  Flanders. 

But  he  had  to  pay  seven  ducats  for  the  certificate  of  his 
pardon,  all  scribed  upon  parchment. 

XXXI 

In  those  days  there  came  to  Damme  two  brothers  of  the 
Premonstratensian  Order,  sellers  of  indulgences.  And  over 
their  monastic  robes  they  wore  beautiful  jackets  bordered 
with  lace. 

When  it  was  fine  they  stood  outside  the  porch  of  the 
church,  and  under  the  porch  when  it  was  wet,  and  there  they 
stuck  up  their  tariff ;  and  this  was  the  scale  of  charges  :  for 
six  Hards  a  hundred  years'  indulgence,  for  one  patard  two 
hundred  years,  three  hundred  years  for  half  a  sovereign,  four 
hundred  years  for  seven  florins,  and  so  on  according  to  the 
price — indulgences  plenary  or  semi-plenary,  and  pardons 
for  all  the  most  terrible  crimes. 

And  they  gave  to  their  patrons,  in  exchange  for  payment, 
little  parchment  certificates  on  which  were  written  out  the 
number  of  years  of  indulgence,  and  below  was  the  following 
inscription  : 

Who  wants  not  to  be 

Stewed,  roasted,  fricasseed, 

Burning  in  hell  for  evermore, 

Indulgences  let  him  buy. 

Pardon  and  forgiveness, 

For  a  little  money, 

God  will  return  to  him. 

And  the  eager  purchasers  came  thronging  round  the  monks. 
One  of  whom  never  left  off  addressing  his  audience.  This 
brother  had  a  blooming  countenance,  and  displayed  three 
chins  at  least,  and  a  portentous  belly,  all  without  the  least 
embarrassment. 

75 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Unhappy  ones  !  "  he  cried,  fixing  with  his  eye  now  one, 
now  another  of  the  crowd.  "  Unhappy  ones  !  Let  me  show 
you  a  picture.  Behold  !  You  are  in  hell !  The  fire  burns 
you  most  cruelly.  You  are  boiling  in  that  cauldron  full  of 
oil  wherein  are  prepared  the  olie-koekjes  of  Astarte.  You  are 
nothing  better  than  a  sausage  on  the  frying-pan  of  Lucifer, 
or  a  leg  of  mutton  on  the  spit  of  Guilguiroth,  biggest  of  all 
the  devils.  And  first  they  cut  you  up  in  little  pieces.  Ah. 
woe  is  me  !  Behold  this  sinner  who  despised  indulgences  ! 
Behold  this  plate  of  daintiness!  'Tis  he!  'Tis  he!  His 
wicked  body  thus  reduced  by  damnation.  And  for  sauce, 
brimstone  and  pitch  and  tar  !  Thus  are  those  poor  sinners 
eaten  alive  to  be  born  again  continually  to  their  pain  !  And 
here  in  all  reality  is  the  place  of  tears  and  of  grinding  of  teeth. 
Have  mercy,  God  of  mercy !  For  now,  poor  damned  one, 
you  are  in  hell,  and  you  suffer  unspeakable  woes.  And  yet 
if  any  there  were  to  subscribe  a  denier  for  you,  straightway 
one  of  your  hands  would  find  relief  ;  and  let  but  some  other 
give  a  half  a  denier  and  your  two  hands  would  be  freed  entirely 
from  the  pain  of  the  fire.  But  as  for  the  remainder  of  your 
body,  let  some  one  only  give  a  florin,  and  there  falls  the  dew  of 
indulgence  over  all !  O  freshness  of  delight !  And  now  for 
ten  days,  a  hundred  days,  a  thousand  years  maybe,  according 
as  one  pays,  no  more  roast  meat,  no  more  olie-koekjes,  no  more 
fricassees  for  you  !  And  even  if  it  is  not  for  yourself,  is  there 
no  one  else,  there  in  the  secret  depths  of  the  fire,  no  one  else 
for  whom  you  would  wish  to  gain  relief — one  of  your  parents 
perhaps,  a  dear  wife,  or  some  lovely  girl  with  whom  you  have 
committed  wilful  sin  ?  " 

And  as  he  spoke  these  words,  the  monk  jogged  the  elbow 
of  his  brother  that  stood  by  holding  in  his  hands  a  silver 
bowl.  And  that  brother,  lowering  his  eyes  at  this  signal, 
shook  the  bowl  unctuously,  as  if  inviting  contributions. 

Whereat  the  preacher  continued  in  this  wise  :  "Or 
perhaps  you  have  a  son  or  a  daughter,  maybe,  in  the  midst 
76 


THE  MONK'S  SERMON 


The  Monk's  Sermon 

of  this  terrible  fire,  or  some  beloved  little  child  ?  Hark, 
how  they  cry  aloud,  and  weep,  and  call  to  you  by  name.  Can 
you  remain  deaf  to  their  pitiful  voices  ?  You  cannot.  Even 
a  heart  of  ice  must  melt,  though  it  cost  you  a  carolus  !  And 
behold,  at  the  very  sound  of  the  carolus  as  it  strikes  this 
vile  metal "  (and  here  his  comrade  shook  the  plate  again),  "  a 
space  opens  out  in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  the  tormented 
soul  ascends  to  some  volcano  mouth  where  it  meets  the  air, 
the  fresh,  free  air !  Where  are  the  pains  of  the  fire  now  ? 
For  the  sea  is  close  at  hand,  and  straight  into  the  sea  the  soul 
plunges.  She  swims  on  her  back,  on  her  stomach,  floats  upon 
the  waves,  dives  beneath  them.  Oh,  listen  how  she  sings 
aloud  in  her  joy !  See  how  she  rolls  about  in  the  water  ! 
The  very  angels  gaze  down  upon  her  from  heaven  and  are 
glad.  Eagerly  they  await  her  coming  ;  but  not  yet,  not  yet 
has  she  had  her  fill  of  the  sea.  If  she  might  only  turn  into  a 
fish !  She  knoweth  not  how  there  are  prepared  for  her  up  aloft 
sweet  baths,  perfumed  and  scented,  with  fine  bits  of  sugar- 
candy  floating  therein,  all  white  and  fresh  like  bits  of  ice. 
Now  a  shark  appears.  She  fears  it  not  at  all,  but  clambers 
upon  its  back,  and  sits  there  all  unnoticed,  hoping  he  will  take 
her  with  him  down  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.  And  now 
she  goes  to  greet  the  little  water-angels  that  feed  on  waterzoey 
from  coral  cauldrons,  and  on  freshest  oysters  from  plates  of 
mother-of-pearl.  And  she  is  welcomed  and  feted  and  made 
much  of,  but  still  the  angels  in  heaven  beckon  her  on  high, 
till  at  last,  refreshed  and  happy,  you  may  see  her  rise  aloft, 
singing  like  a  lark,  up  to  the  highest  heaven  where  God  sits  in 
glory  on  his  throne.  There  she  finds  again  all  her  earthly 
friends  and  loved  ones  (save  only  those,  forsooth,  that  in  this 
life  have  spoken  ill  of  indulgences  and  of  our  Holy  Mother 
Church  and  who  burn  now  for  their  sin  upon  the  floor  of  hell. 
And  so  for  ever  and  for  ever  and  for  ever  to  all  ages,  in  an  all- 
consuming  eternity).  But  that  other  soul,  now  dear  to  God, 
refreshes  herself  in  soft  baths  and  crunches  sugar-candy. 

77 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Buy  then,  my  brothers,  buy  your  indulgences.  We  sell  them 
for  crusats,  for  florins,  or  for  English  sovereigns.  Even  copper 
coin  is  not  refused.  Buy  then,  buy  !  This  is  the  Holy  Mart ! 
And  we  have  indulgences  adapted  to  the  poor  man's  purse  as 
well  as  to  the  rich  man's.  Only,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  my 
brothers,  no  credit  is  allowed.  For  to  buy  without  paying  cash 
is  a  crime  most  grievous  in  the  eyes  of  Our  Lord." 

Hereupon  the  monk  who  had  kept  silent  shook  his  platter, 
and  the  florins,  crusats,  patards,  sols,  and  deniers  fell  into  it 
as  thick  as  hail. 

Claes,  feeling  himself  rich,  paid  a  florin  for  an  indulgence 
of  ten  thousand  years  ;  and  the  monks  delivered  to  him  a 
piece  of  parchment  in  exchange. 

At  last,  seeing  that  there  was  no  one  left  in  Damme  but 
the  miserly  folk  who  would  not  buy  indulgences  at  any  price, 
the  two  monks  left  the  village  and  proceeded  on  their  way  to 
Heyst. 

XXXII 

In  those  days  the  country  round  Liege  was  in  a  disturbed 
and  dangerous  state  by  reason  of  the  heresy  hunts,  and 
Lamme  Goedzak  came  again  to  live  in  Damme.  He  was 
married  now,  and  his  wife  followed  him  willingly  because  the 
people  of  Liege,  who  had  a  mocking  nature,  used  to  make  fun 
of  her  husband's  meekness. 

Lamme  often  visited  Claes,  who,  since  coming  into  his 
fortune,  was  always  to  be  found  at  the  tavern  of  the  Blauwe 
Torre,  and  had  even  appropriated  one  of  the  tables  for  himself 
and  his  boon  companions.  This  table  was  next  to  the  one 
where  sat  the  Dean  of  the  Fishmongers,  Josse  Grypstuiver 
by  name,  drinking  sparingly  from  his  half-pint  tankard.  For 
he  was  a  miser,  a  stingy  fellow  who  thought  the  world  of 
himself,  and  lived  for  the  most  part  on  smoked  herrings,  and 
thought  more  of  money  than  of  the  safety  of  his  own  soul. 
Now  Claes  carried  in  his  pocket  that  piece  of  parchment 
78 


In  the  Tavern  of  the  Blue  Tower 

whereon  was  inscribed  the  tale  of  his  ten-thousand-year 
indulgence. 

One  evening  Claes  was  drinking  at  the  Elauwe  Torre  in 
the  company  of  Lamme  Goedzak,  Jan  van  Roosebeke,  and 
Matthys  van  Assche,  Josse  Grypstuiver  also  being  present. 
Claes  had  been  imbibing  freely,  and  Jan  Roosebeke  was 
remonstrating  with  him,  saying  that  it  was  sin  to  drink  so 
much.  But  Claes  replied  that  a  pint  too  much  meant  nothing 
more  serious  than  an  extra  half-day  in  purgatory. 

"  Besides,"  said  he,  "  I  have  a  ten-thousand-year  indul- 
gence in  my  pocket !  Is  there  any  one  here  that  would  like  a 
hundred  years  of  them,  I  wonder,  so  that  he  may  indulge  his 
stomach  without  fear  of  the  consequences  ?  " 

Every  one  shouted  at  once  : 

"  How  much  are  you  selling  them  at  ?  " 

"  For  a  pint  of  beer,"  Claes  answered,  "  I  will  give  you  one 
hundred  days,  but  for  a  muske  conyn  you  shall  have  a  hundred 
and  fifty  !  " 

Some  of  the  revellers  gave  Claes  a  pint  of  beer,  others  a 
piece  of  ham,  and  for  each  and  all  Claes  cut  off  a  little  strip 
of  his  parchment.  It  was  not  Claes,  forsooth,  who  consumed 
the  price  of  his  indulgences,  but  Lamme  Goedzak ;  and  he 
gorged  himself  so  that  he  began  to  swell  visibly ;  and  all  the 
time  Claes  went  on  distributing  his  merchandise  up  and  down 
the  tavern. 

The  man  Grypstuiver  turned  a  sour  face  towards  him, 
and  asked  if  he  had  an  indulgence  for  ten  days. 

"  No,"  said  Claes,  "  that's  too  small  a  piece  to  cut." 

Every  one  laughed,  and  Grypstuiver  ate  his  anger  as 
best  he  could.  Then  Claes  went  home,  followed  by  Lamme, 
walking  as  if  his  legs  were  made  of  wool. 

XXXIII 

Towards  the  end  of  the  third  year  of  her  banishment, 
Katheline  returned  to  her  home  in  Damme.  And  continually 

79 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

she  cried  aloud  in  her  madness  :  "  Fire,  fire  !  My  head  is  on 
fire  !  My  soul  is  knocking,  make  a  hole,  she  wants  to  get 
out !  "  And  if  ever  she  saw  an  ox  or  a  sheep  she  would  run 
from  it  as  if  in  terror.  And  she  would  sit  on  the  bench  at  the 
back  of  her  cottage,  under  the  lime-trees,  wagging  her  head 
and  staring  at  the  people  of  Damme  as  they  passed  by.  But 
she  did  not  recognize  them,  and  they  called  her  "  The  mad- 
woman." 

Meanwhile  Ulenspiegel  went  wandering  along  the  roads 
and  pathways  of  the  world,  and  one  day  he  met  a  donkey 
on  the  highway,  harnessed  with  leather  and  studs  of  brass, 
and  its  head  ornamented  with  tassels  and  plumes  of  scarlet 
wool.  .  .  . 

Some  old  women  were  standing  round  the  donkey  in  a 
circle,  all  talking  at  once  and  telling  each  other  how  that  no 
one  could  tame  the  donkey  for  that  he  was  a  terrible  animal 
and  had  belonged  to  the  Baron  of  Raix,  who  was  a  magician 
and  had  been  burned  alive  for  having  sacrificed  eight  children 
to  the  devil.  "  And  he  ran  away  so  fast,"  said  the  old  women, 
"  that  none  could  catch  him.  And  without  a  doubt  he  is 
under  the  protection  of  Satan.  For  a  while  ago  he  seemed 
tired,  resting  by  the  wayside,  and  the  village  constables  came 
to  seize  him.  But  he  suddenly  kicked  out  with  his  hind  legs 
and  brayed  in  such  fearful  fashion  that  they  durst  not  to  go 
near  him.  And  that  was  no  bray  of  an  ass,  but  the  bray  of 
the  devil  himself.  So  the  constables  left  him  to  browse  among 
the  thistles,  and  passed  no  sentence  upon  him,  nor  did  they 
burn  him  alive  for  a  sorcerer  as  they  should  have  done. 
Verily  these  men  have  no  courage." 

Notwithstanding  this  brave  talk,  the  donkey  had  only 
to  prick  up  his  ears  or  flick  his  sides  with  his  tail,  to  send  the 
women  running  away  from  him  with  cries  of  terror.  Then 
back  they  would  come,  chattering  and  jabbering,  but  ever 
ready  to  be  off  again  if  the  donkey  showed  the  least  sign  of 
movement.  Ulenspiegel  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  sight, 
80 


Tyl  the  Magician 

"  Ah  !  "  said  he,  "  talk  and  curiosity  !  They  flow  like  an 
everlasting  river  from  the  mouths  of  women — and  especially 
old  women,  for  with  the  young  the  flow  is  less  continuous  by 
reason  of  their  amorous  occupations." 

Then,  considering  the  donkey  : 

"  This  sorcerer-beast,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  is  a  sprightly 
ass  without  a  doubt,  and  a  good  goer.  What  if  I  were  to 
take  him  for  my  own,  to  ride,  or  maybe  sell  him  ?  " 

Without  another  word  Ulenspiegel  went  and  got  a  feed  of 
oats,  and  returning,  offered  them  to  the  donkey.  But  while  he 
was  eating  of  those  viands  Ulenspiegel  jumped  nimbly  upon  his 
back,  and  taking  the  reins,  turned  him  first  to  the  north,  then 
to  the  east,  and  lastly  to  the  west.  Then,  when  he  had  gone 
from  them  a  little  way,  he  raised  his  hand  as  if  in  blessing  on 
those  aged  dames.  But  they,  almost  fainting  with  fear,  fell 
upon  their  knees  before  him.  And  that  evening  when  they 
met  together  again,  the  tale  was  told  of  how  an  angel  with  a 
felt  hat  trimmed  with  a  pheasant's  feather  had  come  and 
blessed  them,  and  had  taken  off  the  magician's  donkey  by 
special  favour  of  God. 

And  Ulenspiegel,  astride  of  his  ass,  went  his  way  through 
the  green  fields,  where  the  horse  pranced  about  at  liberty, 
where  the  cows  and  heifers  grazed  at  their  ease  or  lay  resting 
in  the  sunshine.  And  he  called  the  ass  Jef. 

At  last  Jef  came  to  a  stop,  and  began,  as  happy  as  could 
be,  to  make  his  dinner  off  the  thistles  which  grew  in  that  place 
in  great  abundance.  But  anon  he  shivered  all  over,  and 
flicked  his  sides  with  his  tail  in  the  hope  of  ridding  himself 
of  the  greedy  horse-flies  who,  like  himself,  were  trying  to  get 
their  dinner,  not  off  the  thistles,  but  off  his  own  flesh. 

Ulenspiegel,  who  himself  began  t£>  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger, 
grew  very  melancholy. 

"  Happy  indeed  would  you  be,  friend  donkey,  with  your 
good  dinner  of  fine  thistles  if  there  was  no  one  to  disturb  you 
in  your  pleasures,  and  to  remind  you  that  you  also  are 

F  81 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

mortal,  born,  that  is  to  say,  to  the  endurance  of  all  kinds 
of  villainies." 

Thus  did  Ulenspiegel  address  his  steed,  and  thus  continued: 

"  For  even  as  you  have  this  gadfly  of  yours  to  worry  you, 
so  also  hath  His  Holiness  the  Pope  a  gadfly  of  his  own,  even 
master  Martin  Luther  ;  and  His  Sacred  Majesty  the  Emperor, 
hath  he  not  my  Lord  of  France  for  his  tormentor — Francis, 
first  of  that  name,  the  King  with  the  very  long  nose  and  a 
sword  that  is  longer  still  ?  And  forsooth,  donkey  mine,  it  is 
certainly  permitted  that  I  also,  poor  little  man  wandering  all 
alone,  may  have  my  gadfly  too. 

"  Alas  !  Woe  is  me  !  All  my  pockets  have  holes  in  them, 
and  by  the  said  apertures  do  all  my  fine  ducats  and  florins 
and  daelders  ramble  away,  flying  like  a  crowd  of  mice  before 
the  mouth  of  the  cat  that  would  devour  them.  I  wonder 
why  it  is  that  money  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  me — me 
that  am  so  fond  of  money  ?  Verily  Fortune  is  no  woman, 
whatever  they  may  say,  for  she  loves  none  but  greedy  misers 
that  shut  her  up  in  their  coffers,  tie  her  up  in  sacks,  close  her 
down  under  twenty  keys  and  never  let  her  show  herself  at  the 
window  by  so  much  as  the  little  tip  of  her  gilded  nose  !  This, 
then,  is  the  gadfly  that  preys  upon  me  and  makes  me  itch, 
and  tickles  me  without  ever  so  much  as  raising  a  laugh. 
But  there,  you  are  not  listening  to  me  at  all,  friend  donkey ! 
And  you  think  of  nothing  but  your  food.  You  gobbling 
gobbler,  your  long  ears  are  deaf  to  the  cry  of  an  empty 
stomach  !  But  you  shall  listen  to  me.  I  insist !  " 

And  he  belaboured  the  ass  as  hard  as  he  could,  till  the 
brute  began  to  bray. 

"  Come,  come,  now  that  you  have  given  us  a  song  !  " 
cried  Ulenspiegel.  But  the  donkey  would  not  advance  by 
more  than  a  single  step,  and  seemed  determined  to  go  on 
eating  thistles  until  he  had  consumed  all  that  grew  by  the 
roadside.  And  of  these  there  was  an  abundance. 

When  Ulenspiegel  saw  what  was  happening  he  dismounted 
82 


Talks  with  a  Donkey 

and  cut  off  a  bunch  of  thistles ;  then,  mounting  the  ass  again, 
he  placed  the  bunch  of  thistles  just  in  front  of  the  animal's 
nose.  And  in  this  way,  leading  the  donkey  by  the  nose,  he 
arrived  before  long  in  the  land  of  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse. 

"  Friend  donkey,"  he  said  as  they  went  along,  "  you, 
verily,  go  running  after  a  bunch  of  thistles,  the  meagre  fare 
with  which  I  have  provided  you  ;  but  you  leave  behind  the 
lovely  road  that  is  filled  with  all  kinds  of  most  delicate  herbs. 
And  thus  do  all  men,  scenting  out,  some  of  them,  the  bouquet 
called  Fame  which  Fortune  puts  under  their  nose,  others  the 
bouquet  of  Gain,  and  yet  others  the  bouquet  that  is  called 
Love.  But  at  the  end  of  the  journey  they  discover,  like 
you,  that  they  have  been  pursuing  things  that  are  of  little 
account,  and  that  they  have  left  behind  all  that  is  worth 
anything — health,  and  work,  repose,  happiness,  and  home." 

In  such  discourse  with  his  donkey  Ulenspiegel  came  at 
last  to  the  palace  of  the  Landgrave. 

There  two  Captains  of  Artillery  were  playing  dice  upon  the 
steps  of  the  palace,  and  one  of  them,  a  red-haired  man  of 
gigantic  stature,  soon  noticed  Ulenspiegel  as  he  approached 
modestly  upon  his  ass,  gazing  down  upon  them  and  their 
game. 

"  What  do  you  want,"  said  the  Captain,  "  you,  fellow, 
with  your  starved  pilgrim's  face  ?  " 

"  I  am  extremely  hungry,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  and 
if  I  am  a  pilgrim,  it  is  against  my  will." 

"  And  you  are  hungry,"  replied  the  Captain, "  go,  eat  the 
next  gallows  cord  you  come  to,  for  such  cords  are  prepared  for 
vagabonds  like  you." 

"  Sir  Captain,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  only  give  me  the 
fine  golden  cord  you  wear  on  your  hat,  and  I  will  go  straight- 
way and  hang  myself  by  the  teeth  from  that  fat  ham  which  I 
see  hanging  over  there  at  the  cook-shop." 

The  Captain  asked  him  where  he  came  from.  Ulenspiegel 
told  him,  "  From  Flanders." 

83 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  To  show  His  Highness  the  Landgrave  one  of  my  pic- 
tures. For  I  am  a  painter." 

"  If  it  is  a  painter  that  you  are,"  said  the  Captain,  "  and 
from  Flanders,  come  in,  and  I  will  lead  you  to  my  master." 

When  he  had  been  brought  before  the  Landgrave,  Ulen- 
spiegel saluted  thrice  and  again. 

"  May  your  Highness  deign,"  said  he,  "  to  excuse  my 
presumption  in  daring  to  come  and  lay  before  these  noble 
feet  a  picture  I  have  made  for  your  Highness,  wherein  I  have 
had  the  honour  to  portray  Our  Lady  the  Virgin  in  her  royal 
attire." 

And  then  after  a  moment's  pause  : 

"  It  may  be  that  my  picture  may  please  your  Highness," 
he  continued,  "  and  in  that  case  I  am  sufficiently  presump- 
tuous to  hope  that  I  might  aspire  even  unto  this  fine  chair  of 
velvet,  where  sat  in  his  lifetime  the  painter  that  is  lately 
deceased  and  ever  to  be  regretted  by  your  Magnanimity." 

Now  the  picture  which  Ulenspiegel  showed  him  was  very 
beautiful,  and  when  the  Landgrave  had  inspected  it,  he  told 
Ulenspiegel  to  sit  down  upon  the  chair,  for  that  he  would 
certainly  make  him  his  Court  Painter.  And  the  Landgrave 
kissed  him  on  both  cheeks,  most  joyously,  and  Ulenspiegel 
sat  down  on  the  chair. 

"  Of  a  truth  you  are  a  very  talkative  fellow,"  said  the 
Landgrave,  looking  him  up  and  down. 

"  May  it  please  your  Lordship,"  answered  Ulenspiegel, 
"  Jef — my  donkey — has  dined  most  excellently  well  on  thistles, 
but  as  for  me  I  have  seen  nothing  but  misery  these  three  days 
past,  and  have  had  nothing  to  nourish  me  but  the  mists  of 
expectation." 

"  You  shall  soon  have  some  better  fare  than  that,"  answered 
the  Landgrave.  "  But  where  is  this  donkey  of  yours  ?  " 

"  I  left  him  on  the  Grande  Place,"  Ulenspiegel  said, 
"  opposite  the  palace  ;  and  I  should  be  most  obliged  if  he 


Ty 7  finds  a  Patron 

could  be  given  lodging  for  the  night — some  straw  and  a  little 
fodder." 

The  Landgrave  immediately  gave  instructions  to  one  of 
his  pages  that  Ulenspiegel's  donkey  should  be  treated  even 
as  his  own. 

The  hour  for  supper  soon  arrived,  and  the  meal  was  like  a 
wedding  festival.  Hot  meats  smoked  in  the  dishes,  wine 
flowed  like  water,  while  Ulenspiegel  and  the  Landgrave  grew 
both  as  red  as  burning  coals.  Ulenspiegel  also  became  very 
merry,  but  His  Highness  was  somewhat  pensive  even  in  his 
cups. 

"  Our  painter,"  said  he  suddenly,  "  will  have  to  paint  our 
portrait.  For  it  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  a  mortal  prince  to 
bequeath  to  his  descendants  the  memory  of  his  countenance." 

"  Sir  Landgrave,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  your  will  is 
my  pleasure.  Nevertheless,  I  cannot  help  feeling  sorry  at 
the  thought  that  if  your  Lordship  is  painted  by  himself  he 
will  feel  lonely,  perhaps,  all  there  in  solitary  state  through 
the  ages  to  come.  Surely  he  should  be  accompanied  by  his 
noble  wife,  Madame  the  Landgravine,  by  her  lords  and 
ladies,  and  by  his  captains  and  most  warlike  officers  of  State. 
In  the  midst  of  these,  my  Lord  and  his  Lady  will  shine  like 
twin  suns  surrounded  by  lanterns." 

"  Well,  painter  mine,  and  how  much  shall  I  have  to  pay 
you  for  this  mighty  work  ?  " 

"  One  hundred  florins,  either  now  or  later,  just  as  you  will." 

"  Here  they  are,  in  advance,"  said  the  Landgrave. 

"  Most  compassionate  master,"  said  Ulenspiegel  as  he 
took  the  money,  "  you  have  filled  my  lamp  with  oil,  and  now 
it  shall  burn  bright  in  your  honour." 

On  the  next  day  Ulenspiegel  asked  the  Landgrave  to  let 
him  see  those  persons  who  were  to  have  the  honour  of  being 
painted.  And  first  there  came  before  him  the  Duke  of  Lune- 
burg,  commander  of  the  infantry  of  the  Landgrave.  He  was 
a  stout  man  who  carried  with  difficulty  his  great  paunch 

85 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

swollen  with  food.     He  went  up  to  Ulenspiegel  and  whispered 
in  his  ear  : 

"  When  you  paint  my  portrait  see  that  you  take  off  half 
my  fat  at  least.  Else  will  I  order  my  soldiers  to  have  you 
hung." 

The  Duke  passed  on.  And  next  there  came  a  noble  lady 
with  a  hump  on  her  back  and  a  bosom  as  flat  as  a  sword- 
blade. 

"  Sir  painter,"  said  she,  "  unless  you  remove  the  hump 
on  my  back  and  give  me  a  couple  of  others  in  the  place  where 
they  should  be,  verily  I  will  have  you  drawn  and  quartered 
as  if  you  were  a  prisoner." 

The  lady  went  away,  and  now  there  appeared  a  young 
maid  of  honour,  fair,  fresh,  and  comely,  only  that  she  lacked 
three  teeth  under  her  upper  lip. 

"  Sir  painter,"  said  she,  "  if  you  do  not  paint  me  smiling 
and  showing  through  my  parted  lips  a  perfect  set  of  teeth, 
I'll  have  you  chopped  up  into  small  pieces  at  the  hands  of  my 
gallant.  There  he  is,  look  at  him." 

And  she  pointed  to  that  Captain  of  Artillery  who  a  while 
ago  had  been  playing  dice  on  the  palace  steps.  And  she 
went  her  way. 

The  procession  continued,  until  at  last  Ulenspiegel  was  left 
alone  with  the  Landgrave. 

The  Landgrave  said  to  him  : 

"  My  friend,  let  me  warn  you  that  if  your  painting  has  the 
misfortune  to  be  inaccurate  or  false  to  all  these  various 
physiognomies  by  so  much  as  a  single  feature,  I  will  have  your 
throat  cut  as  if  you  were  a  chicken." 

"  If  I  am  to  have  my  head  cut  off,"  thought  Ulenspiegel, 
"  if  I  am  to  be  drawn  and  quartered,  chopped  up  into  small 
pieces,  and  finally  hung,  I  should  do  better  to  paint  no  por- 
trait at  all.  I  must  consider  what  is  best  to  be  done." 

"  And  where  is  the  hall,"  he  asked  the  Landgrave,  "  which 
I  am  to  adorn  with  all  these  likenesses  !  " 
86 


The  Mysterious  Picture 

"  Follow  me,"  said  the  Landgrave.  And  he  brought  him 
to  a  large  room  with  great  bare  walls. 

"  This  is  the  hall,"  he  said. 

"  I  should  be  very  grateful,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  if  some 
curtains  could  be  hung  right  along  the  walls,  so  that  my  paint- 
ings may  be  protected  from  the  flies  and  the  dust." 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  Landgrave. 

When  the  curtains  had  been  hung  as  directed,  Ulenspiegel 
asked  if  he  might  have  three  apprentices  to  help  him  with  the 
mixing  of  his  colours. 

This  was  done,  and  for  thirty  days  Ulenspiegel  and  the 
apprentices  spent  the  whole  of  their  time  feasting  and  carous- 
ing together,  with  every  extravagance  of  meat  and  drink. 
And  the  Landgrave  looked  on  at  it  all.  But  at  last  on  the 
thirty-first  day  he  came  and  thrust  his  nose  in  at  the  door  of 
the  chamber  where  Ulenspiegel  had  begged  him  not  to  enter. 

"  Well,  Tyl,"  he  said,  "  and  where  are  the  portraits  ?  " 

"  They  are  not  finished,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

"  When  shall  I  be  able  to  see  them  ?  " 

"  Not  just  yet,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

On  the  six-and-thirtieth  day  the  Landgrave  again  thrust 
his  nose  inside  the  door. 

"  Well,  Tyl,"  he  inquired,  "  how  now  ?  " 

"  Ah,  Sir  Landgrave,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  the  portraits  are 
getting  on." 

On  the  sixtieth  day  the  Landgrave  grew  very  angry, 
and  coming  right  into  the  room  : 

"  Show  me  the  pictures  at  once  !  "  he  cried. 

"  I  will  do  so,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  but  pray  have  the 
kindness  not  to  draw  the  curtain  until  you  have  summoned 
hither  the  lords  and  captains  and  ladies  of  your  court." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Landgrave,  and  at  his  command 
the  aforesaid  notabilities  appeared.  Ulenspiegel  took  up  his 
stand  in  front  of  the  curtain,  which  was  still  carefully  drawn. 

"  My  Lord  Landgrave,"  he  said,  "  and  you,  Madame  the 

87 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Landgravine,  and  you  my  Lord  of  Liineburg,  and  you  others, 
fine  ladies  and  valiant  captains,  know  that  behind  this 
curtain  have  I  portrayed  to  the  best  of  my  abilities  your 
faces,  every  one  warlike  or  gentle  as  the  case  may  be.  It 
will  be  quite  easy  for  each  one  of  you  to  recognize  himself. 
And  that  you  are  anxious  to  see  yourselves  is  only  natural. 
But  I  pray  you  have  patience  and  suffer  me  to  speak  a  word 
or  two  before  the  curtain  is  drawn.  Know  this,  fair  ladies 
and  valiant  captains  ;  all  you  that  are  of  noble  blood  shall 
behold  my  paintings  and  rejoice.  But  if  there  be  among  you 
any  that  is  of  low  or  humble  birth,  such  an  one  will  see  nothing 
but  a  blank  wall.  So  there  !  And  now,  have  the  goodness 
to  open  wide  your  noble  eyes." 

And  so  saying,  Ulenspiegel  drew  the  curtain. 

"  Remember,"  said  he  again,  "  only  they  of  noble  birth 
can  see  my  pictures,  whether  they  be  lords  or  ladies."  And 
again,  presently :  "  He  of  low  birth  is  blind  to  my  pictures. 
But  he  who  clearly  sees,  that  man  is  a  nobleman  without  a 
doubt." 

At  that  every  one  present  opened  wide  his  eyes,  pretending 
— you  may  be  sure — to  see,  and  feigning  to  recognize  the 
various  faces  and  pointing  themselves  out  to  one  another, 
though  in  reality  they  beheld  nothing  at  all  but  a  bare  wall. 
And  for  this  they  were  each  and  all  secretly  ashamed. 

Suddenly  the  court  jester,  who  was  standing  by,  jumped 
three  feet  in  the  air  and  jaggled  his  bells. 

"  Take  me  for  a  villain,"  he  cried,  "  a  most  villainous 
villain,  but  I  verily  will  affirm  and  assert  and  say  with 
trumpets  and  fanfares  that  there  I  see  a  wall,  a  blank,  white 
wall,  and  nothing  but  a  wall,  so  help  me  God  and  his  saints  !  " 

Ulenspiegel  said : 

"  When  fools  'gin  talking,  time  for  wise  men  to  be 
walking." 

And  he  was  about  to  leave  the  palace  when  the  Landgrave 
stopped  him. 
88 


Nele  the  Medium 

"  Fool  in  your  folly,"  said  he,  "  you  make  boast  that  you 
go  through  the  world  praising  what  is  good  and  fair  and 
making  mock  of  foolery,  and  you  have  dared  to  make  open 
game  of  so  many  and  so  high-born  ladies,  and  of  their  yet 
more  noble  lords,  bringing  ridicule  on  the  pride  of  their 
nobility  !  Of  a  truth  I  tell  you  that  the  day  will  come  when 
you  will  hang  for  your  free  speech." 

"  If  the  cord  is  of  gold,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  it  will  break 
with  dread  at  my  approach." 

"  Stay,"  said  the  Landgrave.  "  Here  is  the  first  bit  of 
your  rope,"  and  he  gave  him  fifteen  florins. 

"  All  thanks  to  you,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  and  I  promise 
you  that  every  tavern  on  the  road  shall  have  a  thread  of  it, 
a  thread  of  that  gold  which  makes  Crcesuses  of  all  those 
rascally  tavern-keepers." 

And  off  he  went  on  his  donkey,  holding  his  head  up  high 
in  air,  with  the  plume  in  his  cap  wagging  joyously  in  the  breeze. 

XXXIV 

Now  was  the  season  of  yellowing  leaves,  and  the  winds  of 
autumn  were  beginning  to  blow.  Sometimes  for  an  hour  or 
two  it  seemed  that  Katheline  was  come  into  her  right  mind 
again,  and  at  such  times  Claes  would  say  that  the  merciful 
spirit  of  God  had  come  to  visit  her.  Then  it  was  that  she  had 
power  to  throw  a  charm  upon  Nele,  by  signs  and  incantations, 
so  that  the  girl  was  able  to  see  whatever  was  happening  all 
over  the  world,  in  the  public  squares  of  the  cities,  or  on  the 
highways,  or  in  the  houses  themselves. 

To-day  Katheline  was  in  one  of  these  moods  of  right- 
mindedness,  and  she  was  eating  olie-koekje  with  Claes,  Soetkin, 
and  Nele.  Claes  said  : 

"  This  is  the  day  of  His  Majesty  the  Emperor's  abdication. 
Nele,  my  dear,  do  you  think  you  could  see  as  far  as  Brussels 
in  Brabant  ?  " 

"  If  Katheline  wishes  me  to,"  said  Nele. 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Thereupon  Katheline  caused  her  to  sit  down  on  a  bench, 
and  making  sundry  passes  with  her  hands,  she  muttered  her 
incantations,  which  soon  sent  the  girl  off  into  a  trance. 

Then  Katheline  said  to  her  : 

"  Make  your  way  into  the  little  house  which  is  called 
the  Park  House,  and  is  the  favourite  residence  of  the 
Emperor  Charles  the  Fifth." 

Whereupon  Nele  began  to  speak,  in  a  low  voice,  as  though 
she  were  half  suffocated. 

"  I  am  standing  in  a  small  room  painted  green.  There  is 
a  man  in  the  room.  He  is  about  fifty-four  years  of  age,  and 
he  has  a  bald  head  and  a  protruding  chin  with  a  white  beard 
growing  upon  it.  His  grey  eyes  have  a  wicked,  crafty  look, 
rilled  with  cruelty  and  false  kindness.  And  this  is  the  man 
they  call  *  His  Most  Sacred  Majesty.'  He  suffers  from  a 
catarrh  and  always  keeps  coughing.  Beside  him  is  another, 
a  young  man  with  an  ugly  face  like  that  of  a  hydrocephalous 
monkey.  I  saw  him  once  at  Antwerp.  He  is  King  Philip. 
At  the  present  moment  he  is  being  rebuked  by  His  Sacred 
Majesty  for  having  slept  out  last  night  away  from  home. 
Doubtless,  says  His  Majesty,  he  was  at  some  brothel  in  com- 
pany of  a  trollop  of  the  town.  His  hair,  it  seems,  smells  of 
the  tavern,  no  place,  that,  for  a  King  to  seek  his  pleasures  in,  he 
who  may  have  his  choice  of  all  the  sweetest  bodies  in  the  world, 
of  skin  like  satin  fresh  from  perfumed  baths,  and  of  hands 
of  high-born  ladies,  very  amorous.  Such  as  these,  says  His 
Majesty,  are  more  fit  for  him,  surely,  than  some  half-mad  wench 
that  is  come,  scarcely  washed,  from  the  arms  of  a  drunken 
soldier.  For  there  is  not  one  among  all  the  ladies,  the  most 
noble,  the  most  beautiful,  whether  virgin,  wife,  or  widow, 
that  would  resist  King  Philip  !  And  they  would  be  proud  to 
give  him  of  their  love — not  by  a  greasy  glimmer  of  stinking 
tallow,  but  by  the  light  of  scented  tapers  made  of  finest  wax. 

"  The  King  replies  that  he  will  obey  His  Sacred  Majesty 
in  all  things.  Whereupon  His  Sacred  Majesty  has  a  fit  of 
90 


The  Emperor  at  his  Ease 

coughing  and  drinks  some  draughts  of  hippocras.     After  which 
he  addresses  his  son,  sorrowfully,  in  these  words  : 

"  '  You  must  know,  my  son,  that  very  soon  I  am  to  give 
to  the  world  the  mighty  spectacle  of  the  abdication  of  my 
throne  in  the  favour  of  you,  my  son.  And  I  shall  speak 
before  a  great  crowd  of  people,  coughing  and  hiccuping  as  I 
am — for  all  my  life  I  have  eaten  too  heartily.  And  very 
hard-hearted  must  you  be  if  you  shed  no  tears  when  you  hear 
what  I  shall  have  to  say." 

"  '  I  shall  shed  many  tears,'  "  answers  King  Philip. 

"  And  now  His  Sacred  Majesty  is  speaking  to  his  valet,  a 
man  named  Dubois. 

"  *'  Bring  me  some  sugar  dipped  in  Madeira,'  he  cries.  *  I 
have  the  hiccups.  Pray  heaven  they  do  not  attack  me  when 
I  am  making  my  speech  before  all  those  people.  Oh,  that 
goose  I  had  last  night  for  dinner  !  Will  it  never  pass  ?  I 
think  I  had  better  take  a  glass  of  Orleans  wine  ?  No,  it  is 
too  harsh.  Or  perhaps  if  I  ate  some  anchovies  ?  No,  they 
are  oily.  Dubois,  there,  give  me  some  Roman  wine  ! ' 

"  Dubois  does  as  he  is  told,  then  dresses  his  master  in  a 
robe  of  crimson  velvet,  wraps  a  golden  cloak  about  him, 
girds  on  his  sword,  places  the  globe  and  sceptre  in  his  hands, 
and  on  his  head  the  crown.  Thus  arrayed,  His  Sacred 
Majesty  goes  forth  from  the  Park  House,  riding  on  a  little 
mule  and  followed  by  King  Philip  and  many  notables.  Pre- 
sently they  arrive  at  a  large  building  called  the  Palace,  and 
they  corne  to  a  room  wherein  is  a  tall  thin  man,  most  richly 
dressed.  He  is  the  Prince  of  Orange,  William,  surnamed  the 
Silent. 

"  *  Do  I  look  well,  Cousin  William  ?  '  His  Sacred  Majesty 
inquires. 

"  But  the  man  makes  no  answer,  till  at  length  His  Sacred 
Majesty  speaks  again,  half  mused,  half  angry. 

"  '  Still  silent,  cousin  ?  Still  without  a  word  ? — even 
when  you  have  the  chance  of  telling  the  truth  to  a  grey-beard  ! 

91 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Come  now,  shall  I  abdicate  or  stay  upon  my  throne,  O  silent 
one  ?  ' 

"  '  Most  Sacred  Majesty,'  replies  the  thin  man,  '  at  the 
approach  of  winter  even  the  strongest  oaks  let  fall  their 
leaves.' 

"  Three  o'clock  strikes. 

"  '  Lend  me  your  shoulder,  silent  one,  that  I  may  lean 
upon  it.' 

"  And,  so  saying,  His  Most  Sacred  Majesty  leads  the  way 
into  a  great  room  wherein  is  a  canopy,  and  under  the  canopy  a 
dais  covered  with  a  carpet  of  crimson  silk.  On  the  dais  are 
three  chairs.  His  Sacred  Majesty  seats  himself  on  the  mid- 
most one,  which  is  more  ornamented  than  the  others  and 
surmounted  by  the  imperial  crown.  King  Philip  takes  the 
second  chair,  and  the  third  is  occupied  by  a  woman,  who  is  no 
doubt  the  Queen.  On  either  side  are  long  benches  covered 
with  tapestry,  and  sitting" upon  them  are  men  dressed  in  red 
robes  and  wearing  round  their  necks  the  image  of  a  golden 
sheep.  Behind  stand  various  personages  who  would  seem  to 
be  princes  and  lords.  Opposite  these,  and  at  the  bottom  of  the 
dais,  there  is  a  row  of  bare  benches  which  are  occupied  by  men 
dressed  in  plain  cloth.  I  hear  it  said  that  these  men  are 
clothed  and  seated  so  modestly  because  it  is  themselves  that 
have  to  pay  all  the  costs.  At  the  entrance  of  His  Sacred 
Majesty  these  people  all  stand  up,  but  when  he  has  sat  down 
he  makes  a  sign  and  they  sit  also. 

"  Now  a  very  aged  man  is  talking  of  his  gout  interminably. 
After  which  the  woman,  who  seems  to  be  a  Queen,  presents  a 
roll  of  parchment  to  His  Majesty.  His  Sacred  Majesty  reads 
what  is  written  thereon  in  a  low  voice,  coughing  all  the  time, 
and  then  he  begins  to  speak  for  himself. 

"  '  Many  and  long  are  the  journeys  that  I  have  made 
through    Spain    and    Italy   and    the    Netherlands,  through 
England  and  through  Africa,  all  for  God's  glory,  for  the 
renown  of  my  arms,  and  the  good  of  my  peoples.' 
92 


Abdication  of  the  Emperor 

"  And  so  on,  and  so  on,  till  at  last  he  comes  to  tell  of  his 
growing  weakness  and  fatigue,  and  of  his  determination  to 
relinquish  the  crown  of  Spain,  together  with  the  counties, 
duchies,  and  marquisates  of  all  those  countries,  and  of  his  desire 
to  hand  them  over  to  his  son.  Thereafter  he  begins  to  weep, 
and  every  one  weeps  with  him,  and  King  Philip  gets  up  from 
his  chair  and  falls  upon  his  knees  before  his  father. 

"  '  Most  Sacred  Majesty,'  he  cries,  '  am  I  indeed  to  re- 
ceive this  crown  from  your  hands  while  yet  you  are  so  strong 
to  wear  it  ? ' 

"  Then  His  Majesty  whispers  into  his  son's  ear  that  he 
should  speak  some  kindly  words  to  those  men  who  are  seated 
upon  the  tapestried  chairs,  Whereupon  King  Philip  turns 
towards  them,  and  without  rising  addresses  them  in  a  sharp 
tone  of  voice. 

"  '  I  understand  French  fairly  well,'  he  says, '  but  not  well 
enough  to  be  able  to  talk  to  any  one  in  that  language.  But 
the  Bishop  of  Arras,  Monsieur  Grandvelle,  he  will  say  some- 
thing to  you  on  my  behalf.' 

"  '  That  is  not  the  way  to  speak  to  them,  my  son,'  says  His 
Sacred  Majesty. 

"  And  in  truth  the  whole  assembly  begins  to  murmur, 
seeing  the  young  King  so  proud  and  unbending.  The  woman, 
she  who  is  the  Queen,  then  makes  an  oration,  and  is  followed 
by  an  aged  professor,  who,  on  sitting  down,  receives  a  wave 
of  the  hand  from  His  Sacred  Majesty  by  way  of  thanks. 
These  ceremonies  and  harangues  being  finished,  His  Sacred 
Majesty  makes  a  declaration  to  the  effect  that  his  subjects 
are  released  from  their  oath  of  fidelity,  signs  the  deeds  drawn 
up  to  ratify  his  abdication,  and  then,  rising  from  his  throne, 
places  his  son  upon  it  in  his  stead.  Every  one  in  the  hall 
weeps.  Then  they  return  again  to  the  Park  House. 

"  Once  more  His  Sacred  Majesty  and  his  son  Philip  are 
alone  together  in  the  green  chamber.  As  soon  as  the  doors 
are  shut  His  Sacred  Majesty  goes  off  into  a  peal  of  laughter, 

93 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  U/enspiege/ 

and  begins  talking  to  King  Philip,  who  keeps  quite  solemn 
all  the  time. 

"  '  Did  you  notice,'  says  the  Emperor,  laughing  and  hic- 
cuping  at  the  same  time,  '  how  little  was  needed  to  move 
these  good    people   to  tears  ?     Heavens,  how    they    wept  ! 
You  would  have  thought  it  was  the  deluge  !     That  fat  Maes 
who  made  the  long  speech,  why,  he  cried  like  a  calf  !     Even 
you   appeared    to    be   affected — but   not   quite   sufficiently, 
perhaps.     Really  there  is  no  doubt  that  these  are  the  best  of 
all  the  entertainments  which  one  can  provide  for  the  popu- 
lace.    For  just  as  we  nobles  are  wont  to  cherish  most  those 
mistresses  who  cost  us  most,  so  also  it  is  with  the  people. 
The  more  we  make  them  pay  the  more  they  love  us.     That 
is  why  I  have  tolerated  the  reformed  religion  in  Germany 
while  punishing  it  severely  in  the  Low  Countries.     If,  how- 
ever, the  German  princes  had  been  Catholics  I  would  have  made 
myself  a  Lutheran  so  that  I  might  confiscate  their  property. 
Verily  they  all  believe  in  the  integrity  of  my  zeal  for  the 
Roman  faith,  and  when  I  leave  them  they  are  full  of  regrets. 
Yet  for  heresy  there  have  perished  at  my  hands  fifty  thousand 
of  their  bravest  men  and  of  their  tenderest  maidens,  in  the 
Netherlands  alone.     But  still  they  grieve  at  my  departure. 
And  without  making  any  count  of  what  has  been  got  from 
confiscations,  I  have  raised  in  taxes  more  than  the  wealth  of 
all  the  Indies  or  Peru  ;  yet  they  are  sorry  to  lose  me.     And  I 
have  torn  up  the  Peace  of  Cadzant,  brought  the  city  of  Ghent 
under    subjection,    suppressed    every    one    who    might    be 
dangerous  to  me,  put  down  all  liberties,  freedoms,  and  privi- 
leges,  and  placed  them  under  the  authority  of  the  royal 
officers  ;  but  yet  do  these  good  people  think  they  are  still  free 
inasmuch  as  I  allow  them  to  shoot  with  the  crossbow,  and  to 
carry  in  procession  the  banners  of  their  guilds.     Willingly  do 
they  submit  themselves  to  the  hand  of  their  master,  finding 
happiness  in  a  cage,  and  singing  his  praises  while  he  is  with 
them,  and  weeping  when  he  departs.    My  son,  be  you  to 

94 


FATHER  AND  SON 


Good  Advice 

them  even  as  I  have  been,  kindly  in  words  but  harsh  in  deed. 
Lick  that  which  you  have  no  need  to  bite,  and  never  leave  off 
swearing  to  maintain  liberties,  freedoms,  and  privileges, 
however  little  you  may  scruple  to  destroy  those  liberties  if 
they  show  signs  of  becoming  dangerous.  For  such  things 
as  these  are  like  iron  if  handled  timidly,  but  brittle  as  glass  if 
grappled  with  a  strong  hand.  Therefore  you  should  root 
out  all  heresy,  not  because  it  differs  from  the  Roman  religion, 
but  because,  if  allowed  to  flourish,  it  would  mean  the  end  of 
our  rule  in  all  the  Netherlands.  For  they  that  attack  the 
Pope  with  his  three  crowns  would  finish  by  denying  the 
authority  of  the  temporal  princes  who  wear  but  one.  So, 
then,  you  should  follow  my  example,  and  regard  all  claims  to 
freedom  of  conscience  as  crimes  of  high  treason  to  be  punished 
by  immediate  confiscation.  Hereby  you  will  inherit  great 
riches,  as  I  also  have  done  all  my  life  long ;  and  when  you 
come  to  die  or  to  abdicate,  everybody  will  say,  '  Ah  me,  the 
good  and  noble  prince  ! '  and  many  are  the  tears  that  will  be 
shed  !  " 

"  And  now  I  hear  no  more,"  said  Nele,  "  for  His 
Sacred  Majesty  has  laid  him  down  to  sleep.  And  King 
Philip,  that  proud  and  haughty  prince,  stands  gazing  at  him 
with  loveless  eyes." 

And  when  she  had  thus  spoken,  Nele  was  awakened  from 
her  trance  by  Katheline.  And  Claes  gazed  thoughtfully  into 
the  fire  as  it  flamed  and  lit  up  all  the  chimney. 

XXXV 

It  was  the  month  of  April.  The  weather  had  been  mild, 
but  now  there  was  come  a  sharp  frost  and  a  sky  grey  and 
overcast  as  it  were  the  sky  of  All  Souls'  Day.  The  third  year 
of  UlenspiegePs  banishment  had  long  since  passed,  and  Nele 
was  waiting  day  after  day  for  the  return  of  her  lover. 

"  Alas  !  "  she  cried,  "  there  will  be  snow  on  the  pear-trees, 
and  snow  upon  the  flowering  jasmines,  and  on  all  the  poor 

95 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

plants  that  have  bloomed  in  confidence  of  the  mildness  and 
the  warmth  of  an  early  spring.  Already  from  the  sky  little 
snowflakes  are  falling  on  the  roads.  And  on  my  poor  heart 
as  well  the  snow  is  falling. 

"  Where,  oh  where  are  the  bright  rays  of  sunshine  that 
should  be  playing  now  on  our  happy  spring-time  faces — and 
upon  red  roofs  that  were  used  to  grow  the  redder  for  that 
warmth,  and  on  window-panes  that  flashed  as  they  caught 
that  sunny  brightness  ?  Where  indeed  are  those  flaming 
beams  that  kindled  earth  to  life  again,  and  the  sky,  and  the 
birds,  and  the  insects  ?  Alas  !  For  day  and  night  am  I 
chilled  by  sorrow  and  long  waiting.  Oh  where,  where  are 
you,  my  lover  Ulenspiegel  ?  " 

XXXVI 

That  Sunday  there  was  held  at  Bruges  the  Procession  of 
the  Holy  Blood.  Claes  told  his  wife  that  she  and  Nele 
ought  to  go  and  see  the  procession,  and  that  if  they  did  so,  it 
was  not  impossible  they  might  find  Ulenspiegel  in  the  city. 
As  for  himself,  he  would  stay  behind  and  look  after  the 
cottage  and  be  ready  to  welcome  their  pilgrim  if  he  should 
return. 

So  the  two  women  went  off  together.  Claes  remained  at 
home  and  sat  himself  down  on  the  doorstep  and  gazed  into 
the  deserted  village  street.  All  was  quiet  as  the  grave, 
except  now  and  again  for  the  crystal  sound  of  the  bell  of  some 
village  church,  or,  rising  and  falling  with  every  little  gust  of 
wind  from  Bruges,  the  far-off  music  of  the  carillon  and  the 
sound  of  the  guns  and  fireworks  that  were  being  let  off  in 
honour  of  the  Holy  Blood.  But  in  spite  of  all  these  sounds 
of  joy,  Claes  was  filled  with  sadness,  scanning  the  grey  mist 
that  hung  over  the  fields  for  a  sight  of  his  son,  and  trying  to 
hear  his  footfall  in  the  jolly  rustling  of  leaves  and  gay  concert 
of  birds  as  they  sang  among  the  trees.  Suddenly  he  noticed 
a  man  coming  down  towards  him  on  the  road  from  Mai- 

96 


The  Messenger 

deghem.  It  was  a  man  tall  of  stature,  but  it  was  not  Ulen- 
spiegel.  And  presently  Claes  saw  him  come  to  a  stand  beside 
a  field  of  carrots,  and  bend  down  to  eat  of  the  vegetables  as 
if  he  were  starving  for  food. 

"  There's  a  hungry  man  sure,"  said  Claes  to  himself. 

But  after  a  while  the  man  continued  his  walk,  and  passed 
out  of  view  ;  to  reappear  a  little  later  at  the  corner  of  the  rue 
Heron.  Claes  recognized  him  at  once  as  the  messenger  who 
had  brought  the  seven  hundred  ducats  from  his  brother 
Josse.  He  went  to  meet  him,  and  asked  him  in. 

"  Blessed  are  they  that  are  kind  to  the  wandering 
traveller,"  said  the  man,  and  readily  accepted  the  proffered 
invitation. 

Now  on  the  window-ledge  of  the  cottage  window  lay  some 
bread-crumbs  which  Soetkin  kept  ready  for  the  birds  of  the 
neighbourhood,  who  had  learnt  to  come  there  during  the 
winter  for  their  food.  The  man  took  these  crumbs  and  ate 
them. 

"  You  must  be  hungry  and  thirsty,"  said  Claes. 

"  Eight  days  ago  was  I  robbed  by  thieves,"  the  man 
replied,  "  and  since  then  I  have  had  nothing  to  eat  but  the 
carrots  I  have  found  in  the  fields  and  roots  in  the  forest." 

"  Well  then,"  said  Claes,  "  I  am  thinking  it  is  time  you 
had  a  good  round  meal."  And  so  saying  he  opened  the 
bread-pan.  "  Look,"  he  continued,  "  here  is  a  dishful  of 
peas,  and  here  are  eggs,  puddings,  hams,  sausages  from 
Ghent,  waterwey^  a  hotchpotch  of  fish.  And  down  below 
in  the  cellar  there  slumbers  our  good  wine  from  Louvain, 
made  after  the  manner  of  Burgundy  wine,  all  clear  and  red  as 
rubies.  Only  the  glasses  are  wanting  now  to  rouse  it  from 
its  sleep.  Aiid  to  crown  all,  let  us  put  a  faggot  to  the  fire. 
Already  I  can  hear  the  pudding  singing  in  the  grill !  And 
that's  a  song  of  right  good  cheer,  my  friend  !  " 

Claes  kept  turning  the  puddings,  and  as  he  did  so  he  in- 
quired of  the  stranger  whether  he  had  seen  his  son,Ulenspiegel. 

G  97 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  No,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Then  perhaps  you  bring  me  news  of  my  brother  ?  " 
Claes  said,  as  he  placed  the  puddings,  now  well  grilled,  upon 
the  table,  together  with  a  ham  omelette,  some  cheese,  and 
two  big  tankards  of  gleaming  Louvain  wine,  both  red  and 
white. 

The  man  said  : 

"  Your  brother  Josse  has  been  done  to  death  upon  the 
rack  at  Sippenaken  near  to  Aix.  And  all  because  he  was  a 
heretic,  and  bore  arms  against  the  Emperor." 

Claes  was  like  one  mad,  and  he  shook  all  over,  for  his 
wrath  was  great. 

"  Wicked  brutes  !  "  he  cried.  "  O  Josse  !  My  poor 
Josse  !  " 

Then  the  stranger  spoke  again,  but  in  a  voice  that  held  no 
sweetness. 

"  Not  in  this  world,  my  friend,  is  to  be  found  just  cause 
either  for  joy  or  for  sorrow."  And  he  fell  to  his  food.  But 
after  a  while  he  spoke  again. 

"  You  must  know  that  I  was  able  to  be  of  some  assistance 
to  your  brother  while  he  was  in  prison,  by  pretending  that  I 
was  one  of  his  relatives,  a  peasant  from  Nieswieler.  I  am 
now  come  hither  in  obedience  to  his  command  that  if  I  was 
not  killed  for  the  Faith  like  him,  I  should  go  to  you,  and 
charge  you  in  his  name  to  live  in  the  faith  and  peace  of  our 
Saviour,  practising  all  works  of  mercy,  and  educating  your 
son  in  secret  in  the  law  of  Christ.  'That  money,'  he  said, 
4  which  I  gave  to  my  brother  was  money  taken  from  the  poor 
and  ignorant.  Let  Claes  make  use  of  it  in  rearing  Tyl  in  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  His  word." 

And  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  the  messenger  gave  Claes  the 
kiss  of  peace.  And  Claes  made  moan  and  lamentation,  saying : 

"  Dead  upon  the  rack  !  Alas  !  My  poor  Josse  !  "  And 
his  grief  was  so  great  that  he  could  not  put  it  from  him. 
Nevertheless,  when  he  saw  that  the  messenger  was  consumed 


Claes  i?i  Danger 

with  thirst  and  held  out  his  glass  for  more  wine,  Claes  poured 
out  again.     But  he  himself  ate  and  drank  without  pleasure. 

Now  Soetkin  and  Nele  remained  away  for  seven  days  ; 
and  all  this  time  the  messenger  stayed  beneath  the  roof  of 
Claes,  and  every  night  they  heard  Katheline  howling  in  her 
cottage  over  the  way : 

"  Fire  !     Fire  !     Make  a  hole !    My  soul  wants  to  get  out !  " 

And  Claes  went  to  her,  comforting  her  with  gentle  words, 
and  afterwards  returned  to  his  own  house. 

At  the  end  of  the  seven  days  the  messenger  departed. 
Claes  offered  him  money,  but  he  would  only  accept  two 
caroluses  with  which  to  feed  himself  and  find  lodging  on  his 
way  back  home. 

XXXVI 

When  Nele  and  Soetkin  returned  from  Bruges,  they  found 
Claes  in  the  kitchen,  sitting  on  the  floor  like  a  tailor,  sewing 
buttons  on  an  old  pair  of  breeches.  Titus  Bibulus  SchnoufHus 
barked  his  welcome  ;  Claes  smiled,  and  Nele  smiled  in  answer. 
But  Soetkin  did  not  take  her  eyes  from  the  road,  gazing 
continually  in  hopes  to  see  her  beloved  Ulenspiegel. 

All  of  a  sudden  she  broke  silence.  "Look,"  she  cried, 
"  here  is  the  Provost-Marshal.  He  is  coming  along  the  road 
with  four  sergeants  of  the  peace.  They  cannot  be  wanting 
any  one  from  here,  surely  !  And  yet  there  are  two  of  them 
turning  off  by  the  cottage  !  " 

Claes  looked  up  from  his  work. 

"  And  the  other  two  have  stopped  at  the  front,"  Soetkin 
said. 

Then  Claes  got  up. 

"  Who  can  they  want  to  arrest  in  this  road  ?  "  his  wife 
continued,  and  then :  "  O  Christ !  They  are  coming  in 
here." 

"  Look  to  the  money ! "  cried  Claes.  "  The  caroluses  are 
hidden  away  behind  the  fireplace."  And  with  these  words 
he  ran  out  of  the  kitchen  into  the  garden.  Nele  understood 

99 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

what  he  meant,  and  saw  that  he  was  going  to  try  and  make  his 
escape  over  the  hedge.  But  the  sergeants  seized  him  by  the 
collar,  and  now  he  was  hitting  out  at  them  in  a  hopeless 
endeavour  to  break  free. 

"  He  is  innocent !  "  Nele  cried  aloud  amid  her  tears.  "  He 
is  innocent !  Do  not  hurt  him.  It  is  Claes,  my  father  ! 
O  Ulenspiegel,  where  are  you  ?  Where  are  you  ?  If  you 
were  only  here  you  would  kill  them  both  !  " 

And  she  threw  herself  on  one  of  the  sergeants  and  tore 
at  his  face  with  her  nails.  Then  she  cried  out  again  :  "  They 
will  kill  him  !  "  and  fell  down  upon  the  grass  in  the  garden, 
and  rolled  there  in  her  despair. 

Katheline,  hearing  the  noise,  had  come  out  from  her 
cottage,  and  stood  up  straight  and  immovable,  gazing  at  the 
piteous  scene.  Then  she  spoke,  wagging  her  head  : 

"  Fire !    Fire !    Make  a  hole  !    My  soul  wants  to  get  out !  " 

Soetkin  meanwhile,  who  had  seen  nothing  of  all  this, 
was  talking  to  the  sergeants  who  had  entered  the  cottage. 

"  Kind  sirs,"  she  began,  "  what  is  it  that  you  are  looking 
for  in  our  poor  dwelling  ?  If  it  is  my  son  you  want,  he  is  far 
away.  Do  you  feel  equal  to  a  long  journey  ?  " 

And  she  felt  quite  pleased  at  the  way  she  was  handling 
the  matter.  But  it  was  at  this  very  moment  that  Nele 
began  to  cry  aloud  for  help,  and  when  Soetkin  had  made  her 
way  into  the  garden,  it  was  to  see  her  husband  seized  by  the 
collar  and  fighting  on  the  pathway  near  the  hedge. 

"  Hit  hard  and  kill  them ! "  she  cried,  and  then :  "  O 
Ulenspiegel,  where  are  you  ?  " 

And  she  was  about  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  her  man  when 
one  of  the  sergeants  caught  hold  of  her,  not  indeed  without 
some  danger  to  himself.  And  Claes  was  fighting  and  hitting 
out  so  forcibly  that  he  would  certainly  have  escaped  had 
not  the  two  sergeants  with  whom  Soetkin  had  been  talking 
come  out  to  aid  their  fellows  in  the  nick  of  time.  So  at  last 
they  were  able  to  tie  the  hands  of  Claes  together,  and  to  carry 
100 


Claes  taken  to  Prison 

him  back  to  the  kitchen,  whither  Nele  and  Soetkin  had  already 
come,  crying  and  sobbing. 

"  Sir  Provost,"  Soetkin  said,  "  what  crime  has  he  com- 
mitted that  you  are  binding  my  poor  husband  thus  with 
cords  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  heretic,"  said  one  of  the  sergeants. 

"  Heretic  !  "  cried  Soetkin,  looking  towards  her  husband. 
"  You  a  heretic  !  These  devils  are  lying  !  " 

Claes  answered  : 

"  I  resign  myself  into  God's  keeping." 

And  they  took  him  away.  Nele  and  Soetkin  followed 
behind,  in  tears,  believing  that  they  also  would  be  summoned 
before  the  judge.  They  were  joined  by  many  of  their  friends 
and  neighbours,  but  when  these  heard  that  it  was  on  a  charge 
of  heresy  that  Claes  was  walking  thus  in  chains,  fear  came 
upon  them  and  they  returned  incontinently  to  their  houses, 
closing  their  doors  behind  them.  Only  a  few  young  girls 
had  the  courage  to  approach  Claes  and  say  to  him  : 

"  Whither  are  you  going  to,  Charcoal-burner,  in  these 
bonds ! " 

"  I  go  unto  the  grace  of  God,  my  girls,"  he  answered 
them. 

So  they  took  him  away  to  the  town  gaol,  and  Nele  and 
Soetkin  sat  themselves  down  upon  the  threshold.  And 
towards  evening  Soetkin  besought  Nele  to  leave  her  and  to 
go  and  see  if  Ulenspiegel  had  perchance  returned. 

XXXVII 

The  news  spread  quickly  through  the  neighbourhood  that 
a  man  had  been  taken  prisoner  on  a  charge  of  heresy,  and 
that  the  inquisitor  Titelman,  Dean  of  Renaix,  surnamed  the 
Inquisitor  without  Pity,  had  been  appointed  judge.  Now 
at  this  time  Ulenspiegel  was  living  at  Koolkerke,  in  the  in- 
timate favour  of  a  farmer's  widow,  a  sweet  and  gentle  person 
who  refused  him  nothing  of  what  was  hers  to  give.  He  was 

101 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

very  happy  there,  petted  and  made  much  of,  until  one  day  a 
treacherous  rival,  an  alderman  of  the  village,  lay  in  wait  for 
him  early  in  the  morning  when  he  was  coming  out  of  the 
tavern,  and  would  have  beaten  him  with  a  wooden  club. 
But  Ulenspiegel,  thinking  to  cool  his  rival's  anger,  threw  him 
into  a  duck-pond  that  was  full  of  water,  and  the  alderman 
scrambled  out  as  best  he  could,  green  as  a  toad  and  dripping 
like  a  sponge. 

As  a  result  of  this  mighty  deed  Ulenspiegel  found  it 
convenient  to  depart  from  Koolkerke,  and  off  he  went  to 
Damme  as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  him,  fearing  the 
vengeance  of  the  alderman. 

The  night  fell  cold,  and  Ulenspiegel  ran  quickly.  For  he 
was  longing  to  be  home  again,  and  already  he  saw  in  imagina- 
tion Nele  sewing  by  the  fire,  Soetkin  getting  ready  the  supper, 
Claes  binding  up  his  sticks,  and  Schnouffius  gnawing  at  a 
bone. 

A  tramping  pedlar  met  him  on  the  road  and  asked 
him  whither  he  was  off  to  so  fast  and  at  that  time  of 
night. 

"  To  my  home  in  Damme,"  Ulenspiegel  told  him. 

The  tramp  said  : 

"  That  town  is  no  longer  safe.  They  are  arresting  the 
Reformers  there."  And  he  passed  on. 

Presently  Ulenspiegel  arrived  at  the  inn  of  the  Roode 
Scbildt  and  went  in  for  a  glass  of  dobbel  kuyt.  The  innkeeper 
said  to  him  : 

"  Are  you  not  the  son  of  Claes  ?  " 

"  I  am,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Make  haste  then,"  said  the  innkeeper,  "  for  the  hour  of 
evil  fortune  has  sounded  for  your  father." 

Ulenspiegel  asked  him  what  he  meant  by  these  words, 
and  the  innkeeper  told  him  that  he  would  know  soon  enough. 
So  Ulenspiegel  left  the  inn  and  continued  on  his  way,  running 
apace. 
1 02 


The  Return  of  Ulenspiegel 

When  he  arrived  at  the  outskirts  of  Damme,  the  dogs 
that  stood  by  the  doorways  came  running  round  his  legs, 
jumping  up  at  him,  yelping  and  barking.  Hearing  this  noise, 
the  women  also  came  out  of  their  houses,  and  when  they  saw 
who  it  was  they  all  began  talking  at  once. 

"  Whence  come  you  ?  "  they  cried.  "  And  have  you  any 
news  of  your  father  ?  And  do  you  know  where  your  mother 
is  ?  Is  she  in  prison  too  ?  Alas  !  Heaven  send  they  do  not 
bring  him  to  the  stake  !  " 

Ulenspiegel  ran  on  faster  than  ever.     He  met  Nele. 

"  Tyl,"  she  said,  "  you  must  not  go  home.  They  have 
set  guards  in  our  house  in  the  name  of  His  Majesty." 

Ulenspiegel  stopped  running. 

"  Nele,"  he  said,  "  is  it  true  that  Claes,  my  father,  is  in 
prison  ?  " 

"  It  is  true,"  Nele  said,  "  and  Soetkin  sits  weeping  at  the 
gaol  door." 

Then  the  heart  of  the  prodigal  son  swelled  with  grief,  and 
he  said  :  "  I  must  go  to  them." 

"  No,"  said  Nele.  "  First  you  must  do  what  Claes  told 
me,  just  before  he  was  taken  away.  *  Look  to  the  money,' 
he  said,  *  it  is  hidden  at  the  back  of  the  grate.  You  must 
make  sure  of  that  first  of  everything,  for  it  is  the  inheritance 
of  poor  Soetkin.' ' 

But  Ulenspiegel  would  not  hear  aught  and  ran  on  quickly 
to  the  gaol.  There  he  found  Soetkin  sitting  at  the  gate. 
She  embraced  him  with  many  tears,  and  they  cried  on  one 
another's  neck. 

Knowing  that  they  were  there,  the  populace  began  to 
crowd  in  front  of  the  prison.  Then  the  sergeants  arrived  and 
told  Soetkin  and  Ulenspiegel  that  they  were  to  go  away  at 
once.  So  mother  and  son  returned  to  Nele's  cottage,  which 
was  next  door  to  their  own,  and  was  being  guarded  by  one  of 
the  foot-soldiers  who  had  been  sent  for  from  Bruges  in  case 
there  might  be  trouble  during  the  trial  and  execution  of  Claes. 

103 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Utenspiegel 

For  it  was  well  known  that  the  people  of  Damme  loved  him 
exceedingly. 

The  soldier  was  sitting  on  the  pavement  in  front  of  the 
door,  draining  the  last  drops  of  brandy  from  a  flask.  Finding 
it  was  all  gone  he  threw  the  flask  away  and  was  amusing 
himself  by  dislodging  the  stones  on  the  path  with  the  point 
of  his  dagger. 

Soetkin  went  in  to  Katheline,  crying  most  bitterly. 

But  Katheline  said :  "  Fire  !  Fire  !  Make  a  hole  !  My 
soul  wants  to  get  out !  "  And  she  kept  wagging  her  head. 

XXXVIII 

Borgstorm,  the  great  bell  of  Damme,  had  summoned  the 
judges  to  judgment.  It  was  four  o'clock,  and  now  they 
were  collected  together  at  the  yierschare,  around  the  Tree  of 
Justice. 

Claes  was  brought  before  them.  Seated  upon  the  dais 
was  the  high  bailiff  of  Damme,  and  by  his  side,  opposite 
Claes,  the  mayor,  the  alderman,  and  the  clerk  of  the  court. 

The  populace  ran  together  at  the  sound  of  the  bell.  A 
great  crowd  they  were,  and  many  of  them  were  saying  that 
the  judges  were  there  to  do — not  justice — but  merely  the 
will  of  His  Imperial  Majesty.  .  .  . 

After  certain  preliminaries,  the  high  bailiff  began  to 
make  proclamation  of  the  acts  and  deeds  for  which  Claes 
had  been  summoned  before  that  tribunal. 

"  The  informer,"  he  said,  "  had  been  staying  by  chance  at 
Damme,  not  wishing  to  spend  all  his  money  at  Bruges  in 
feasting  and  festivity  as  is  too  often  the  case  during  these 
sacred  occasions.  On  a  time,  then,  when  he  was  taking  the  air 
soberly  on  his  own  doorstep,  he  saw  a  man  walking  towards  him 
along  the  rue  Heron.  This  man  Claes  also  saw,  and  went 
up  to  him  and  greeted  him.  The  stranger,  who  was  dressed 
all  in  black,  entered  the  house  of  Claes,  leaving  the  door  into 
the  street  half  open.  Curious  to  find  out  who  the  man  was, 
104 


Evidence  for  the  Prosecution 

the  informer  went  into  the  vestibule,  and  heard  Claes  talking 
to  the  stranger  in  the  kitchen.  The  talk  was  all  about  a 
certain  Josse,  the  brother  of  Claes,  who  it  seems  had  been 
made  prisoner  among  the  army  of  the  Reformers,  and  had 
suffered  the  punishment  of  being  broken  alive  on  the  wheel 
of  torture,  not  far  from  Aix.  The  stranger  said  that  he  had 
brought  Claes  a  sum  of  money  which  his  brother  had  desired 
to  leave  him,  which  money  having  been  gained  from  the 
ignorant  and  poverty-stricken,  it  behoved  Claes  to  spend  it 
in  bringing  up  his  own  son  in  the  Reformed  Faith.  He  also 
urged  Claes  to  quit  the  bosom  of  our  Holy  Mother  Church, 
and  spake  also  many  other  impious  words  to  which  the  only 
reply  vouchsafed  by  Claes  was  this  :  '  The  cruel  brutes  ! 
Alas,  my  poor  Josse ! '  So  did  the  prisoner  blaspheme 
against  our  Holy  Father  the  Pope  and  against  His  Royal 
Majesty,  accusing  them  of  cruelty  in  that  they  rightly  had 
punished  heresy  as  a  crime  of  treason  against  God  and  man. 
When  the  stranger  had  finished  the  meal  that  Claes  put  before 
him,  our  agent  heard  Claes  cry  out  again  :  '  Alas,  poor  Josse  ! 
May  God  keep  thee  in  his  glory!  How  cruel  they  were  to 
thee  ! '  And  thus  did  he  accuse  God  himself  of  impiety  by 
this  suggestion  that  He  could  receive  a  heretic  into  His 
heaven.  Nor  did  Claes  ever  cease  to  cry  aloud:  'Alas! 
Alas  !  My  poor  Josse  ! '  The  stranger  then,  launching  out 
into  a  frenzy,  like  a  preacher  beginning  his  sermon,  fell  to 
revile  most  shamefully  our  Holy  Mother  the  Church.  '  She 
will  fall,'  he  shouted,  '  she  will  fall,  the  mighty  Babylon,  the 
whore  of  Rome,  and  she  will  become  the  abode  of  demons, 
and  the  haunt  of  every  bird  accursed.'  And  Claes  meanwhile 
continued  the  same  old  cry :  '  Cruel  brutes !  Alas,  poor 
Josse  ! '  And  the  stranger  went  on  in  the  same  way  as  he 
had  begun,  saying :  '  Verily  an  angel  shall  appear  that  shall 
take  a  stone  that  is  great  as  a  millstone,  and  shall  cast  it 
into  the  sea,  crying  :  "  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to  Babylon  the 
mighty,  and  she  shall  be  no  more  seen."  Whereupon,  *  Sir,' 

105 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

says  Claes,  *  your  mouth  is  full  of  bitterness  ;  but  tell  me, 
when  cometh  that  kingdom  in  which  they  that  are  gentle  of 
heart  shall  be  able  to  dwell  in  peace  upon  the  earth  ?  ' 
'  Never,'  answered  the  stranger,  '  while  yet  my  Lord  Anti- 
christ rules,  that  is  the  Pope,  who  is  to-day  the  enemy  to  all 
truth.'  '  Ah,'  said  Claes,  *  you  speak  with  little  respect  of  the 
Holy  Father.  But  he,  surely,  is  ignorant  of  the  cruel  punish- 
ments which  are  meted  out  to  poor  Reformers.'  *  Not  at  all,' 
answered  the  stranger,  '  and  far  from  it,  for  it  is  he  who 
initiates  the  decrees  and  causes  them  to  be  put  into  force  by  the 
Emperor,  now  by  the  King.  The  latter  enjoys  all  the  benefits 
of  confiscation,  inherits  the  property  of  the  dead,  and  finds 
it  easy  to  bring  charges  of  heresy  against  those  who  have  any 
wealth.'  Claes  said :  '  Indeed  I  know  that  such  things  are 
freely  spoken  of  in  the  land  of  Flanders,  and  one  may  well 
believe  them,  for  the  flesh  of  man  is  weak,  even  though  the 
flesh  be  royal  flesh.  O  my  poor  Josse  ! '  And  by  this  did 
Claes  give  to  understand  that  heretics  are  punished  because 
of  a  vile  desire  on  the  part  of  His  Majesty  for  filthy  lucre. 
The  stranger  wished  to  argue  the  matter  further,  but  Claes 
said :  '  Please,  sir,  do  not  let  us  continue  this  conversation, 
for  if  it  were  overheard  I  might  easily  find  myself  involved 
in  some  awkward  inquiry.'  Then  Claes  got  up  to  go  to  the 
cellar,  whence  he  presently  returned  with  a  pot  of  beer.  *  I 
am  going  to  shut  the  door,'  said  he,  and  after  that  the 
informer  heard  nothing  more,  for  he  had  to  make  his  way  out 
of  the  house  as  quickly  as  he  could.  Not  till  it  was  night  was 
the  door  again  opened,  and  then  the  stranger  came  forth. 
But  he  soon  returned,  knocking  at  the  door  and  calling 
to  Claes :  '  It  is  very  cold,  and  I  know  not  where  I  am  to 
lodge  this  night.  Give  me  shelter,  pray.  No  one  has  seen  me. 
The  town  is  deserted.'  Claes  welcomed  him  in,  lit  a  lantern, 
and  last  of  all  he  was  seen  to  be  leading  the  heretic  up  the 
staircase  into  a  little  attic  room  with  a  window  that  looked 
out  on  to  the  country." 
1 06 


The  Deaii  of  the  Fishmongers 

At  this  Claes  cried  out :  "  And  who  could  have  reported  all 
this  but  you,  you  wicked  fishmonger  !  I  saw  you  on  Sunday, 
standing  at  your  door,  as  straight  as  a  post,  gazing  up,  like 
the  hypocrite  you  are,  at  the  swallows  in  their  flight !  " 

And  as  he  spoke,  he  pointed  with  his  finger  at  Josse 
Grypstuiver,  the  Dean  of  the  Fishmongers,  who  showed  his 
ugly  phiz  in  the  crowd  of  people.  And  the  fishmonger  gave 
an  evil  smile  when  he  saw  Claes  betraying  himself  in  this 
way.  And  the  people  in  the  crowd,  men,  women,  and  maids, 
looked  one  at  the  other  and  said  :  "  Poor  good  man,  his  words 
will  be  the  death  of  him  without  a  doubt." 

But  the  clerk  continued  his  depositions. 

"  Claes  and  the  heretic  stayed  talking  together  for  a  long 
time  that  night,  and  so  for  six  other  nights,  during  which 
time  the  stranger  was  seen  to  make  many  gestures  of  menace 
or  of  benediction,  and  to  lift  up  his  hands  to  heaven  as 
do  his  fellow-heretics.  And  Claes  appeared  to  approve  of 
what  he  said.  And  there  is  no  doubt  that  throughout 
these  days  and  nights  they  were  speaking  together  oppro- 
briously  of  the  Mass,  of  the  confessional,  of  indulgences, 
and  of  the  Royal  Majesty.  .  .  ." 

"  No  one  heard  it,"  said  Claes,  "  and  I  cannot  be  accused 
in  this  way  without  any  evidence." 

The  clerk  answered  : 

"  There  is  something  else  that  was  overheard.  The  even- 
ing that  the  stranger  left  your  roof,  seven  days  after  he  had 
first  come  to  you,  you  went  with  him  as  far  as  the  end  of 
Katheline's  field.  There  he  asked  you  what  you  had  done 
with  the  wicked  idols  " — here  the  bailiff  crossed  himself — 
"  of  Madame  the  Virgin,  and  of  St.  Nicholas  and  St. 
Martin.  You  replied  that  you  had  broken  them  all  up 
and  thrown  them  into  the  well.  They  were,  in  fact,  found 
in  the  well  last  night,  and  the  pieces  are  now  in  the  torture- 
chamber." 

At  these  words  Claes  appeared  to  be  quite  overcome. 

107 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

The  bailiff  asked  if  he  had  nothing  to  answer.  Claes  made  a 
sign  with  his  head  in  the  negative. 

The  bailiff  asked  him  if  he  would  not  recant  the  accursed 
thoughts  which  had  led  him  to  break  the  images,  and  the 
impious  delusion  whereby  he  had  spoken  such  evil  words 
against  Pope  and  Emperor,  who  were  both  divine  personages. 

Claes  replied  that  his  body  was  the  Emperor's,  but  that 
his  soul  was  Christ's,  whose  law  he  desired  to  obey.  The 
bailiff  asked  him  if  this  law  were  the  same  as  that  of  Holy 
Mother  Church.  Claes  answered  : 

"  The  law  of  Christ  is  written  in  the  Holy  Gospel." 

When  ordered  to  answer  the  question  as  to  whether  the 
Pope  is  the  representative  of  God  on  earth,  he  answered, 
"  No." 

When  asked  if  he  believed  that  it  was  forbidden  to  adore 
images  of  Our  Lady  and  of  the  saints,  he  replied  that  such  was 
idolatry.  Questioned  as  to  whether  the  practice  of  auricular 
confession  was  a  good  and  salutary  thing,  he  answered  : 
"  Christ  said,  confess  your  sins  one  to  another." 

He  spoke  out  bravely,  though  at  the  same  time  it  was 
evident  that  he  was  ill  at  ease  and  in  his  heart  afraid. 

At  length,  eight  o'clock  having  sounded  and  evening 
coming  on,  the  members  of  the  tribunal  retired,  deferring 
their  judgment  until  the  morrow. 

XXXIX 

The  next  day  the  great  bell,  Borgstorm,  clanged  out  its 
summons  to  the  judges  of  the  tribunal.  When  they  were 
all  assembled  at  the  Vierschare,  seated  upon  the  four  benches 
that  were  set  around  the  lime-tree,  Claes  was  cross-ex- 
amined afresh,  and  asked  if  he  was  willing  to  recant  his 
errors. 

But  Claes  lifted  his  hand  towards  heaven  : 
"  The  Lord  Christ  beholdeth  me  from  on  high,"  he  said, 
"  and  when  my  son  Ulenspiegel  was  born  I  also  gazed  upon 
108 


Claes  pleads  his  Cause 

His  Sun.  Where  is  Ulenspiegel  now  ?  Where  is  he  now,  the 
vagabond  ?  O  Soetkin,  sweet  wife,  will  you  be  brave  in  the 
day  of  trouble  ?  " 

Then  looking  at  the  lime-tree  he  cursed  it,  saying :  "  South 
wind  and  drouth,  I  adjure  you  to  make  the  trees  of  our 
fathers  perish  one  and  all  where  they  stand,  rather  than  that 
beneath  their  shade  freedom  of  conscience  shall  be  judged 
to  death  !  O  Ulenspiegel,  my  son,  where  are  you  ?  Harsh 
was  I  unto  you  in  days  gone  by.  But  now,  good  sirs,  take 
pity  on  me,  and  be  merciful  to  me  in  your  judgment,  even  as 
Our  Lord  would  be  merciful." 

And  all  that  heard  him  wept,  save  only  the  judges. 

Then  Claes  asked  them  a  second  time  if  they  would  not 
pardon  him,  saying  : 

"  Truly  I  was  always  a  hard-working  man,  and  one  that 
gained  little  for  all  his  toil.  I  was  good  to  the  poor  and  kind 
to  every  one.  And  if  I  have  left  the  Roman  Church  it  is 
only  in  obedience  to  the  spirit  of  God  that  spake  to  me.  I 
ask  for  no  grace  except  that  the  pain  of  fire  may  be  commuted 
to  a  sentence  of  perpetual  banishment  from  the  land  of 
Flanders.  Banishment  for  life !  A  sufficient  punishment 
that,  surely  !  " 

And  all  they  that  were  present  cried  aloud  : 

"  Have  pity  upon  him  !     Have  mercy  !  " 

But  Josse  Grypstuiver  held  his  peace. 

Now  the  bailiff  made  a  sign  to  the  company  that  they 
should  keep  silence,  adding  that  the  placards  contained  a 
clause  which  expressly  forbade  the  petitioning  of  mercy  for 
heretics.  But  he  said  that  if  Claes  would  abjure  his  heresy 
he  should  be  executed  by  hanging  instead  of  by  burning. 
And  the  people  murmured  : 

"  What  matters  burning  or  hanging,  they  both  mean 
death !  " 

And  the  women  wept  and  the  men  murmured  under  their 
breath. 

109 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Claes  said  : 

"  I  will  abjure  nothing.  Do  to  my  body  whatsoever  is 
pleasing  to  your  mercy." 

Then  spoke  the  Dean  of  Renaix,  Titelman  by  name  : 

"  It  is  intolerable  that  these  vermin  of  heretics  should 
raise  up  their  heads  in  this  way  before  their  judges.  After 
all,  the  burning  of  the  body  is  but  a  passing  pain,  and  torture 
is  necessary  for  the  saving  of  souls,  and  for  the  recantation 
of  error,  lest  the  people  be  given  the  dangerous  spectacle  of 
heretics  dying  in  a  state  of  final  impenitence." 

At  these  words  the  women  wept  still  more,  and  the  men 
said  :  "  In  those  cases  where  the  crime  is  confessed  punish- 
ment may  be  rightly  inflicted,  but  torture  is  illegal !  " 

The  tribunal  decided  that  since  indeed  it  was  a  fact  that 
the  ordinances  did  not  order  torture  to  be  applied  in  such 
cases,  there  was  no  occasion  to  insist  that  Claes  should  suffer 
it.  He  was  asked  once  more  if  he  would  not  recant. 

"  I  cannot,"  he  answered. 

Then,  in  accordance  with  the  ordinances,  sentence  was 
passed  upon  him.  He  was  declared  guilty  of  simony  in  that 
he  had  taken  part  in  the  sale  of  indulgences,  and  he  was  also 
declared  to  be  a  heretic  and  a  harbourer  of  heretics,  and  as 
such  he  was  condemned  to  be  burned  alive  before  the  hoard- 
ings of  the  Town  Hall.  His  body  was  to  be  left  hanging  on 
the  stake  for  the  space  of  two  days  as  a  warning  to  others, 
and  afterwards  it  was  to  be  interred  in  the  place  set  apart 
for  the  bodies  of  executed  criminals.  To  the  informer, 
Josse  Grypstuiver  (whose  name  had  never  been  mentioned 
throughout  the  whole  trial),  the  tribunal  ordered  to  be  paid 
the  sum  of  fifty  florins  calculated  on  the  first  hundred  florins 
of  the  inheritance  of  the  deceased,  and  a  tenth  part  of  the 
remainder. 

When  he  heard  the  sentence -that  had  been  passed  upon 
him,  Claes  turned  to  the  Dean  of  the  Fishmongers. 

"  You  will  come  to  a  bad  end,"  he  said,  "  you  wicked  man 
no 


Soetkin  and  Tyl  visit  Claes 

that  for  a  paltry  sum  of  money  have  turned  a  happy  wife 
into  a  widow,  and  a  joyous  son  into  a  grieving  orphan." 

The  judges  suffered  Claes  to  speak  in  this  way  for  they 
also,  all  except  Titelman,  could  not  help  despising  from  the 
bottom  of  their  hearts  the  Dean  of  the  Fishmongers  for  the 
information  he  had  given.  Grypstuiver  himself  went  pale 
with  shame  and  anger. 

And  Claes  was  led  back  to  his  prison. 

XL 

On  the  morrow  (which  was  the  day  before  the  execution  of 
Claes)  the  decision  of  the  court  was  made  known  to  Nele,  to 
Ulenspiegel,  and  Soetkin.  They  asked  the  judges  for  leave 
to  visit  Claes  in  prison,  which  permission  was  granted  in  the 
case  of  the  wife  and  the  son  only. 

On  entering  the  prison  cell  they  found  Claes  tied  to  the 
wall  by  a  long  chain.  A  small  fire  was  burning  in  the  grate 
because  of  the  damp.  For  it  is  custom  and  law  in  Flanders 
that  they  who  are  condemned  to  death  shall  be  gently  treated 
and  be  given  bread  and  meat  to  eat,  or  cheese  and  wine. 
Still  gaolers  are  a  greedy  race,  and  oftentimes  the  law  is 
broken,  there  being  many  prison  guards  who  themselves 
eat  up  the  greater  part  of  the  nourishment  provided  for  the 
poor  prisoners,  or  keep  the  best  morsels  for  themselves. 

Claes  embraced  Ulenspiegel  and  Soetkin,  crying  the  while. 
But  he  was  the  first  to  dry  his  eyes,  for  he  put  control  upon 
himself,  being  a  man  and  the  head  of  the  family.  Soetkin, 
however,  went  on  crying,  and  Ulenspiegel  kept  muttering 
under  his  breath  : 

"  I  must  break  these  wicked  chains  !  " 

And  Soetkin  said  through  her  tears  : 

"  I  shall  go  to  King  Philip.     He  surely  will  have  mercy  !  " 

But  Claes  answered  that  this  would  be  no  use  since 
the  King  was  wont  to  possess  himself  of  the  property  of 
those  who  died  as  martyrs.  .  .  .  He  said  also  : 

in 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  My  wife  and  child,  my  best  beloved,  it  is  with  sadness 
and  sorrow  that  I  am  about  to  leave  this  world.  If  I  have 
some  natural  apprehension  for  my  own  bodily  sufferings,  I 
am  no  less  concerned  when  I  think  of  you  and  of  how  poor 
and  wretched  you  will  be  when  I  am  gone,  for  the  King  will 
certainly  seize  for  himself  all  your  goods." 

Ulenspiegel  made  answer,  speaking  in  a  low  voice  for  fear 
of  being  overheard  : 

"  Yesterday  Nele  and  I  hid  all  the  money." 

"  I  am  glad,"  Claes  answered ;  "  the  informer  will  not 
laugh  when  he  comes  to  count  his  plunder." 

"  I  had  rather  he  died  than  had  a  penny  of  it,"  said  Soetkin 
with  a  look  of  hate  in  her  eyes  now  dry  of  tears.  But  Claes, 
who  was  still  thinking  about  the  caroluses,  said  to  Ulen- 
spiegel : 

"  That  was  clever  of  you,  Tyl,  my  lad ;  now  Soetkin  need 
not  be  afraid  of  going  hungry  in  the  old  age  of  her  widowhood." 

And  Claes  embraced  her,  pressing  her  close  to  his  breast, 
and  she  wept  all  the  more  bitterly  as  she  thought  how  soon 
she  was  to  lose  his  tender  protection. 

Claes  looked  at  Ulenspiegel  and  said  : 

"  My  son,  it  was  wrong  of  you  to  go  running  off  along 
the  high  roads  of  the  world  like  any  ruffian.  You  must 
not  do  that  any  more,  my  boy.  You  must  not  leave  her 
alone  at  home,  my  widow  in  her  sorrow.  For  now  it  is  your 
duty  to  protect  her  and  take  care  of  her — you,  a  man." 

"  I  will,  father,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  O  my  poor  husband  !  "  cried  Soetkin  embracing  him 
again.  "  What  crime  can  we  have  committed  ?  Nay, 
we  lived  our  life  peaceably  together,  lowly  and  humbly, 
loving  each  other  well — how  well  Thou,  Lord,  knowest ! 
Early  in  the  morning  we  rose  for  work,  and  at  eventide, 
rendering  our  thanks  to  Thee,  we  ate  our  daily  bread.  Oh, 
would  that  I  could  come  at  this  King,  and  tear  him  with  my 
nails  !  For  in  nothing,  O  Lord  God,  have  we  offended  !  " 

112 


The  Day  of  Execution 

But  here  the  gaoler  entered  and  said  that  it  was  time  for 
them  to  depart. 

Soetkin  begged  to  be  allowed  to  stay,  and  Claes  felt  her 
poor  face  burning  hot  as  it  touched  his,  and  her  tears  falling 
in  floods  and  wetting  all  his  cheek,  and  her  poor  body  shaking 
and  trembling  in  his  arms.  He,  too,  entreated  the  gaoler  that 
she  might  be  suffered  to  remain  with  him.  But  the  gaoler 
was  obdurate,  and  removed  Soetkin  by  force  from  the  arms  of 
Claes. 

"  Take  care  of  her,"  Claes  said  to  Ulenspiegel. 

He  promised,  and  son  and  mother  left  the  room  together, 
she  supported  in  his  arms. 

XLI 

The  next  day,  which  was  the  day  of  the  execution,  the 
neighbours,  out  of  pity  for  their  suffering,  came  and  shut  up 
Soetkin  and  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  in  Katheline's  cottage.  For 
they  could  not  bear  that  they  should  see  the  terrible  sight  of 
the  burning.  Yet  it  had  been  forgotten  that  the  far-off  cries 
of  the  tormented  one  would  reach  the  cottage,  and  that  those 
within  would  be  able  to  see  through  the  windows  the  flames 
of  the  fire. 

Katheline,  meanwhile,  went  wandering  through  the  town, 
wagging  her  head  and  crying  out  continually : 

"  Make  a  hole  !  Make  a  hole  !  My  soul  wants  to  get 
out ! " 

At  nine  of  the  clock  Claes  was  led  out  of  his  prison.  He 
was  dressed  in  a  shirt  only,  and  his  hands  were  tied  behind  his 
back.  In  accordance  with  the  sentence  that  had  been  passed 
upon  him,  the  pile  was  set  up  in  the  rue  Notre  Dame,  with  a 
stake  in  the  midst,  just  in  front  of  the  hoarding  of  the  Town 
Hall.  When  they  arrived  there  the  executioner  and  his 
assistants  had  not  yet  completed  the  work  of  stacking  the 
wood.  Claes  stood  patiently  in  the  midst  of  his  tormentors 
watching  while  the  work  was  finished,  and  all  the  time  the 
provost  on  his  horse,  with  the  officers  of  the  tribunal  and  the 

H  113 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

nine  foot-soldiers  that  had  been  summoned  from  Bruges, 
had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  keeping  order  among  the  people. 
For  they  murmured  one  to  another,  saying  that  it  was  cruelty 
thus  to  do  to  death  unjustly  a  man  like  Claes,  a  poor  man 
and  already  old  in  years,  and  one  that  was  so  gentle,  so  for- 
giving, and  such  a  good  and  steady  workman. 

Suddenly  they  all  fell  upon  their  knees  and  began  to  pray, 
for  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame  were  heard  tolling  for  the  dead. 

Katheline  also  was  among  the  crowd,  right  in  the  front,  mad 
as  she  was.  Fixing  her  eye  on  Claes  and  the  pile  of  wood, 
she  wagged  her  head  and  cried  continually : 

"  Fire  !     Fire  !    Dig  a  hole  !    My  soul  wants  to  get  out !  " 

When  Nele  and  Soetkin  heard  the  sound  of  the  tolling 
they  crossed  themselves.  But  Ulenspiegel  did  not  cross 
himself,  saying  that  he  would  never  pray  to  God  after  the 
same  fashion  as  those  hangmen.  But  he  ran  about  the 
cottage,  trying  to  force  open  the  doors  or  jump  from  the 
windows.  But  they  were  shut  and  fastened  well. 

Suddenly  Soetkin  hid  her  face  in  her  apron. 

"  The  smoke  !  "  she  cried. 

And  in  very  fact,  the  three  mourners  could  see,  mounting 
high  to  heaven,  a  great  eddy  of  smoke  ;  all  black  it  was,  the 
smoke  of  the  funeral  pile  whereon  was  Claes,  tied  to  a  stake, 
the  smoke  of  that  fire  which  the  executioner  had  just  set 
burning  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

Claes  looked  around  for  Soetkin  or  Ulenspiegel.  But  not 
seeing  them  anywhere  in  the  crowd  he  felt  happier  and  more 
at  ease,  thinking  that  they  would  not  know  how  he  suffered. 
And  all  the  time  there  was  a  silence  like  death,  except  for  the 
sound  of  Claes'  voice  praying,  and  the  crackling  of  the  wood, 
the  murmuring  of  men,  the  weeping  of  the  women,  the  voice  of 
Katheline  as  she  cried :  "  Put  out  the  fire  !  Make  a  hole  !  My 
soul  wants  to  get  out !  "  and  over  all,  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame 
tolling  for  the  dead. 
114 


The  Death  of  Claes 

Suddenly  Soetkin's  face  went  as  white  as  snow,  and  her 
body  trembled  all  over.  She  did  not  utter  a  sound,  but 
pointed  to  the  sky  with  her  finger.  For  there  a  long,  straight 
flame  of  fire  had  risen  above  the  pyre,  and  now  was  leaping 
high  above  the  roofs  of  the  lower  houses.  It  was  a  flame  of 
pain  and  cruelty  to  Claes,  for  following  the  caprice  of  the 
breeze,  it  preyed  upon  his  legs,  or  touched  his  head  so  that  it 
smoked,  licking  and  singeing  his  hair. 

Ulenspiegel  took  Soetkin  in  his  arms  and  tried  to  tear  her 
away  from  the  window.  Then  they  heard  a  sharp  cry,  the  cry 
which  came  from  Claes  when  one  side  of  his  body  was  burnt 
by  the  dancing  flames.  But  then  he  was  silent  again,  weeping 
to  himself.  And  his  breast  was  all  wet  with  his  tears. 

Thereafter  Soetkin  and  Ulenspiegel  heard  a  great  noise 
as  of  many  voices.  This  was  the  townsfolk,  their  wives  and 
their  children,  who  now  began  to  cry  and  shout  out  all 
together  : 

*'  He  was  not  sentenced  to  be  burnt  by  a  slow  fire,  but  by  a 
quick  fire  !  Executioner,  stir  up  the  faggots !  " 

The  executioner  did  so.  But  the  fire  did  not  flame  up 
quick  enough  to  please  the  mob. 

"  Kill  him  ! "  they  shouted.  "  Put  him  out  of  his  misery !  " 
And  they  began  to  throw  missiles  at  the  provost. 

Soetkin  cried  aloud  :   "  The  flame  !     The  great  flame  !  " 

And  in  very  truth  they  saw  now  a  great  red  flame,  mount- 
ing heavenwards,  in  the  midst  of  the  smoke. 

"  He  is  about  to  die,"  said  the  widow.  "  O  Lord,  of  your 
mercy  receive  the  soul  of  this  innocent.  Where  is  the  King, 
that  I  may  go  and  tear  out  his  heart  with  my  nails  ?  " 

And  all  the  while  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame  kept  tolling 
for  the  dead.  Yet  again  did  Soetkin  hear  a  great  cry  from 
her  husband  ;  but  mercifully  she  was  spared  the  sight  of  his 
body  writhing  in  the  agony  of  the  fire,  and  his  twisted  face, 
and  his  head  that  he  turned  from  side  to  side  and  beat  upon 
the  wood  of  the  stake.  Meanwhile  the  crowd  continued  to 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

shout  and  to  hiss,  and  the  boys  threw  stones,  until  all  of  a 
sudden  the  whole  pile  of  wood  caught  alight,  and  the  voice  of 
Claes  was  heard  crying  out  from  the  midst  of  the  flame  and 
smoke : 

"Soetkin!    Tyl !  " 

And  then  his  head  fell  down  upon  his  breast  as  though 
it  were  made  of  lead. 

And  there  came  a  cry,  most  piteous  and  piercing,  from  the 
cottage  of  Katheline ;  and  after  that  there  was  silence,  except 
for  the  poor  mad  woman  wagging  her  head  and  saying  : 

"  My  soul  wants  to  get  out !  " 

Claes  was  dead.  The  fire  burned  itself  away,  smouldering 
at  the  foot  of  the  stake  whereon  the  poor  body  still  hung  by 
its  neck. 

And  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame  tolled  for  the  dead. 

XLII 

In  Katheline's  cottage  Soetkin  stood  leaning  against  the 
wall,  with  her  head  hanging  down  and  her  hands  clasped 
together.  She  held  Ulenspiegel  in  her  arms,  speechless  and 
without  a  tear.  Neither  did  Ulenspiegel  say  anything.  It 
made  him  afraid  to  feel  the  burning  fever  that  raged  in  the 
body  of  his  mother. 

The  neighbours,  returning  from  the  place  of  execution, 
came  to  the  cottage  and  told  how  Claes  had  made  an  end  of 
his  sufferings. 

"  He  is  in  glory,"  said  the  widow. 

"  Pray  for  him,"  said  Nele,  putting  her  rosary  into  the 
hands  of  Ulenspiegel.  But  he  would  make  no  use  of  it, 
giving  as  his  reason  that  the  beads  had  been  blessed  by 
the  Pope. 

At  last  night  came,  and  Ulenspiegel  urged  his  mother  to 
go  to  bed,  telling  her  that  he  himself  would  sit  up  and  keep 
watch  in  the  room.  But  Soetkin  said  that  there  was  no  need 
for  him  to  do  that.  Let  him  sleep  also,  for  the  young  have 
116 


The  Place  of  Torture 

need  of  a  good  night's  rest.     So  Nele  prepared  two  beds  for 
them  in  the  kitchen,  and  after  that  she  left  them. 

Mother  and  son  stayed  up  together  while  what  remained 
of  the  wood  fire  burned  itself  out  in  the  grate.  Then  Soetkin 
retired  to  her  bed,  and  Ulenspiegel  did  likewise,  listening  to 
his  mother  sobbing  to  herself  under  the  bedclothes. 

Outside  in  the  silence  of  the  night  the  wind  made  a  murmur- 
ing sound  in  the  trees  by  the  canal.  It  was  like  the  far-off 
sound  of  waves,  and  it  meant  that  autumn  was  coming  soon. 
Also,  there  were  great  eddies  of  dust  that  beat  against  the 
cottage  windows. 

Now  it  seemed  to  Ulenspiegel  that  he  saw  the  figure  of  a 
man  going  to  and  fro  in  the  room,  and  he  thought  he  heard 
the  sound  of  footsteps  coming  and  going  in  the  kitchen. 
But  when  he  looked  he  no  longer  saw  the  man,  and  listening 
he  no  longer  heard  those  footsteps,  but  only  the  sound  of  the 
wind  as  it  whistled  in  the  chimney  and  Soetkin  crying  under 
the  bedclothes. 

Then  once  again  he  heard  those  footsteps,  and  just  behind 
him,  near  his  head,  a  soft  sigh. 

"  Who  is  it  ?  "  he  said. 

No  one  answered,  but  quite  distinctly  came  the  sound  of 
three  taps  on  the  table.  Ulenspiegel  was  afraid,  and  began 
to  tremble.  "  Who  is  it  ?  "  he  said  again.  No  one  answered, 
but  once  more  there  came  the  three  taps  upon  the  table,  and 
after  that  he  felt  two  arms  hugging  him  round,  and  over  him 
there  leant  a  man's  body  with  skin  all  wrinkled  and  a  great 
hole  in  its  breast  that  gave  forth  a  smell  of  burning. 

"  Father,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  is  it  you,  and  is  this  your 
poor  body  that  weighs  thus  upon  me  ?  " 

He  received  no  answer  to  his  question,  and  although  the 
shadow  seemed  still  quite  close,  it  was  from  outside  the  cottage 
that  he  heard  a  voice  crying  out  to  him  by  name, "  Tyl !  Tyl !  " 

Suddenly  Soetkin  got  out  of  bed  and  came  over  to  where 
Ulenspiegel  was  lying. 

117 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Do  you  hear  something  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  "  it  is  father  calling  to  me." 

"  I  too,"  said  Soetkin,  "  I  have  felt  a  cold  body  beside  me 
in  my  bed,  and  the  mattress  has  moved,  and  the  curtains. 
And  I  heard  a  voice  that  spoke  my  name  :  *  Soetkin  ! '  it 
said,  a  voice  soft  as  a  whisper.  And  I  heard  a  step  near  by, 
light  as  the  sound  of  a  gnat's  wings."  Then  she  addressed 
herself  to  the  spirit  of  Claes  :  "  If  there  is  aught  that  you 
desire  in  that  heaven  where  God  guards  you  in  his  glory,  you 
must  tell  me,  my  man,  that  we  may  know  what  you  would 
have  us  do." 

All  of  a  sudden  a  mighty  gust  of  wind  came  blowing  upon 
the  door,  and  it  burst  wide  open  and  straightway  the  room  was 
filled  with  dust ;  and  from  afar,  Soetkin  and  Ulenspiegel 
could  hear  the  sound  of  the  cawing  of  many  ravens. 

They  went  out  of  the  cottage,  and  came  together  to  the 
place  of  torture.  .  .  . 

It  was  a  black  night,  save  where  the  clouds— coursing  in 
the  sky  like  stags  before  the  keen  north  wind — were  parted  here 
and  there  so  as  to  disclose  the  glittering  face  of  some  star. 

By  the  remnants  of  the  pile  strode  a  sergeant  of  the 
commune,  up  and  down,  keeping  guard.  Soetkin  and  Ulen- 
spiegel heard  his  steps  as  they  resounded  on  the  hardened 
ground,  and  together  with  that  sound  there  came  the  cry 
of  a  raven,  calling  his  fellows,  doubtless ;  for  from  far  away 
there  came  the  sound  of  other  caws  in  answer. 

As  Soetkin  and  Ulenspiegel  approached  the  pile  the  raven 
swooped  down  upon  the  shoulder  of  Claes,  and  they  could  hear 
its  beak  pecking  upon  the  body.  And  soon  the  other  ravens 
followed.  Ulenspiegel  would  have  thrown  himself  upon  the 
pile  and  beaten  them  off  had  not  the  sergeant  come  up  and 
prevented  him. 

"  Are  you  a  sorcerer,"  cried  the  man,  "  that  comes  hither 
for  the  hands  of  the  dead  as  a  talisman,  and  yet  do  you  not 
know  that  the  hands  of  a  man  that  has  been  burnt  to  death 
118 


ULENSPIEGEL  AND  SOETKIN 
BY  THE  DEAD  BODY  OF  CLAES 


The  Ashes  of  Claes 

possess  no  power  of  invisibility,  but  only  hands  of  one  who  has 
been  hanged — such  as  you  yourself  will  be  one  of  these  days  ?  " 

"  Sir,"  Ulenspiegel  replied,  "  I  am  no  sorcerer,  but  the 
orphaned  son  of  the  man  tied  to  this  stake  here.  And 
this  woman  is  the  dead  man's  widow.  We  only  wish  to  kiss 
him  once  again,  and  to  take  away  a  few  of  his  ashes  in  his 
memory.  Give  us  leave,  sir,  pray,  for  you  are  certainly  no 
foreign  soldier,  but  a  son  of  this  land." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  sergeant. 

So  the  orphan  and  the  widow  made  their  way  over  the 
charred  wood  and  approached  the  body.  Weeping,  they 
both  kissed  the  face  of  Claes. 

Then  Ulenspiegel  found  the  place  where  the  heart  had 
been,  a  great  hole  hollowed  out  by  the  flames,  and  therefrom 
he  took  a  few  ashes.  Then  Soetkin  and  he  knelt  down  and 
said  a  prayer,  and  when  the  sky  began  to  turn  pale  in  the 
dawn  they  were  still  kneeling  there  together.  But  the 
sergeant  drove  them  off,  for  he  was  afraid  that  he  would  be 
punished  for  his  kindness. 

When  they  were  home  again  Soetkin  took  a  piece  of  red 
silk,  and  a  piece  of  black  silk,  and  she  made  a  little  bag  to 
contain  the  ashes.  And  on  the  little  bag  she  sewed  two 
ribbons  so  that  Ulenspiegel  could  always  carry  it  sus- 
pended round  his  neck.  And  she  gave  it  to  him  with  these 
words : 

"  These  ashes  are  the  heart  of  my  husband.  This  red 
ribbon  is  his  blood.  This  black  one  is  our  sorrow.  Always 
upon  your  breast  let  them  lie,  and  call  down  thereby  the  fire 
of  vengeance  upon  his  torturers." 

"  Amen,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

And  the  widow  embraced  her  orphan,  and  the  sun  rose. 

XLIII 

In  that  year,  being  the  fifty-eighth  year  of  the  century, 
Katheline  came  into  Soetkin's  house  and  spake  as  follows  : 

119 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Last  night,  being  anointed  with  balm,  I  was  transported 
to  the  tower  of  Notre  Dame,  and  I  beheld  the  elemental 
spirits  that  carry  the  prayers  of  men  to  the  angels,  and  they 
in  their  turn,  flying  up  towards  the  highest  heaven,  bring 
them  to  the  Throne  of  God.  And  everywhere  the  sky  was 
strewn  with  glittering  stars.  Suddenly  I  saw  the  figure  of  a 
man  that  seemed  all  blackened  and  charred,  rising  from  a 
funeral  pile.  Mounting  up  towards  me,  this  figure  took  its 
place  beside  me  on  the  tower.  I  saw  that  it  was  Claes,  just 
as  he  was  in  life,  dressed  in  his  charcoal-burner's  clothes. 
He  asked  me  what  I  was  doing  there  on  the  tower  of  Notre 
Dame.  '  And  you,'  I  asked  in  my  turn,  '  whither  are  you 
off  to,  flying  in  the  air  like  a  bird  ? '  'I  am  going,'  he 
answered,  *  to  judgment.  Hear  you  not  the  angel's  trump 
that  summons  me  ?  '  I  was  quite  close  to  him,  and  could 
feel  the  very  substance  of  his  spiritual  body — not  hard  and 
resisting  to  the  touch  like  the  bodies  of  those  that  are  alive, 
but  so  rarefied  that  to  come  up  against  it  was  like  advancing 
into  a  kind  of  warm  mist.  And  at  my  feet  stretched  out  on 
every  side  the  land  of  Flanders,  with  a  few  lights  shining 
here  and  there,  and  I  said  to  myself :  '  They  that  rise  early  and 
work  late,  surely  they  are  the  blessed  of  God  ! '  And  all  the 
time  I  could  hear  the  angel's  trumpet  calling  through  the 
night.  And  presently  I  saw  another  shade  mounting  up 
towards  me  from  the  land  of  Spain.  This  was  an  old  man  and 
decrepit,  with  a  protruding  chin,  and  quince  jam  all  oozing 
from  the  corners  of  his  lips. 

"  On  its  back  it  wore  a  cloak  of  crimson  velvet  lined  with 
ermine,  and  on  its  head  an  imperial  crown,  and  it  kept 
nibbling  a  piece  of  anchovy  which  it  carried  in  one  hand, 
while  in  the  other  hand  it  clutched  a  tankard  of  beer.  I 
could  see  that  this  spirit  was  tired  out  and  had  come  to  the 
tower  of  Notre  Dame  to  rest  itself.  Kneeling  down,  I 
addressed  it  in  these  words:  'Most  Imperial  Majesty,  of  a 
truth  I  revere  you,  yet  I  know  not  who  you  are.  Whence 
1 20 


Ka  the  line  on  the  Tower 

come  you  ?  And  what  was  your  position  in  the  world  ? ' 
'  I  come,'  answered  the  shade,  '  from  Saint  Juste  in  the 
country  of  Estramadoure.  I  was  the  Emperor  Charles  the 
Fifth.'  '  But,'  said  I, '  whither,  pray,  are  you  going  on  such  a 
cold  night  as  this,  and  over  these  clouds  that  are  all  heavy 
and  charged  with  hail  ?  '  'I  go,'  answered  the  shade,  *  to 
judgment.' 

"  Just  as  the  Emperor  was  about  to  finish  his  anchovy 
and  drink  up  his  tankard  of  beer,  the  angel's  trumpet  sounded, 
and  straightway  he  had  to  betake  himself  to  the  air  again, 
grumbling  at  this  sudden  interruption  of  his  repast.  High 
aloft  he  mounted  through  space,  I  following  close  behind  ; 
and  as  he  went  he  hiccuped  with  fatigue,  and  coughed 
asthmatically,  even  vomited  now  and  again  ;  for  death  had 
come  upon  him  at  a  time  when  he  was  suffering  from  a  fit  of 
indigestion.  Thus  ceaselessly  we  soared  aloft  like  arrows 
shot  from  a  bow  of  cornel-wood.  The  stars  glimmered  all 
around  us,  and  time  and  again  we  saw  them  detach  themselves 
and  fall  headlong,  tracing  long  strokes  of  fire  upon  the  sky. 
Once  more  the  angel's  trump  resounded,  very  shrill  and 
powerful.  Each  fanfare  seemed  to  cleave  for  itself  a  pathway 
through  the  cloudy  air,  scattering  the  mists  asunder  like  a 
hurricane  that  has  begun  to  blow  from  near  at  hand.  And 
by  this  means  our  track  was  marked  out  clearly  for  us,  till 
at  length,  when  we  had  been  carried  up  and  up  a  thousand 
leagues  and  more,  we  beheld  Christ  Himself  in  His  glory, 
seated  upon  a  throne  of  stars.  And  at  His  right  hand  was 
the  angel  who  records  the  deeds  of  men  upon  a  register  of 
brass,  and  at  His  left  hand  stood  Mary  His  Mother,  she  that 
for  ever  implores  mercy  for  poor  sinners. 

"  Claes  and  the  Emperor  knelt  down  together  before  the 
throne.  And  the  angel  took  off  the  crown  from  the  head  of 
the  Emperor,  and  cast  it  away. 

" '  There  is  only  one  Emperor  here,'  he  said.   It  is  *  Christ ! ' 

"  His  Sacred  Majesty  could  not  conceal  his  annoyance  ; 

121 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

yet  managed  to  assume  a  humble  tone  of  voice  as  he  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  keep  his  anchovy  and  his  tankard  of  beer, 
for  that  he  had  come  a  long  way  and  was  very  hungry. 

"  *  Hungry  you  have  been  all  your  life,'  said  the  angel, 
*  nevertheless,  you  may  go  on  with  your  eating  and  drinking 
if  you  want  to.' 

"  The  Emperor  emptied  the  tankard  of  beer  and  took  a 
nibble  at  the  anchovy.  Then  Christ  addressed  him  with 
these  words  : 

"  '  Do  you  present  yourself  to  judgment  with  a  clean  soul  ? ' 

"  ' I  trust  so,  dear  Lord,'  answered  Charles  the  Emperor, 
'  for  I  have  confessed  my  sins  and  am  well  shriven.' 

"  '  And  you,  Claes  ?  You  do  not  seem  to  be  trembling 
like  the  Emperor.' 

"  '  My  Lord  Jesus,'  answered  Claes, '  there  is  no  soul  that 
is  clean,  and  how  should  I  be  afraid  of  you,  you  that  are 
sovereign  good  and  sovereign  justice.  Nevertheless,  I  am 
afraid  of  my  sins,  for  they  are  many.' 

"  '  Speak,  carrion  ! '  said  the  angel,  addressing  himself  to 
the  Emperor. 

"  '  I,  Lord,'  said  Charles,  in  an  embarrassed  tone  of  voice, 
'  I  am  he  that  was  anointed  with  oil  by  your  priests,  and 
crowned  King  of  Castile,  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  King  of 
the  Romans.  It  has  ever  been  my  first  care  to  maintain 
that  power  which  was  given  me  by  you,  and  to  that  end  I 
have  done  my  best  by  hanging  and  by  sword,  by  burning  and 
by  burying  alive,  by  pit  and  by  fire  to  keep  down  all  Reformers 
and  Protestants.' 

"  But  the  angel  said  : 

"  '  O  you  false  and  dyspeptic  man,  you  are  trying  to 
deceive  us.  In  Germany,  forsooth,  you  were  tolerant  enough 
of  the  Protestants,  seeing  that  there  you  had  good  cause  to  be 
afraid  of  them.  But  in  the  Netherlands  you  beheaded, 
burned,  hanged,  and  buried  them  alive,  for  there  your  only 
fear  was  lest  you  might  fail  to  inherit  sufficient  of  their 
122 


The  Confession  of  Claes 

property — so  rich  and  plenteous,  like  the  honey  made  by  busy 
bees.  And  there  perished  at  your  hands  one  hundred 
thousand  souls,  not  at  all  because  you  loved  the  Lord  Christ, 
but  because  you  were  a  despot,  a  tyrant,  a  waster  of  your 
country,  and  one  that  loved  himself  first  of  all,  and  after  that, 
nothing  but  meat,  fish,  wine,  and  beer,  for  you  were  always  as 
greedy  as  a  dog  and  as  thirsty  as  a  sponge.' 

"When  the  angel  had  made  an  end,  Christ  commanded 
that  Claes  should  speak,  but  now  the  angel  rose  from  his  place, 
saying  :  '  This  man  has  nothing  to  answer.  He  was  a  good, 
hard-working  man,  as  are  all  the  poor  people  of  Flanders, 
willing  either  for  work  or  play  ;  one  that  kept  faith  with  his 
masters  and  trusted  his  masters  to  keep  faith  with  him.  But 
he  possessed  a  certain  amount  of  money,  and  it  was  for  this 
reason  that  an  accusation  was  brought  against  him,  and 
inasmuch  as  he  had  harboured  in  his  house  a  heretic,  he  was 
condemned  to  be  burnt  alive.' 

"  '  Alas  ! '  cried  Mary,  '  the  poor  martyr  !  But  here  in 
heaven  there  are  springs  of  fresh  water,  fountains  of  milk, 
and  exquisite  wine  which  will  refresh  you,  and  I  myself  will 
lead  you  there,  good  charcoal-burner  ! ' 

"  And  now  the  angel's  trumpet  sounded  yet  again,  and  I 
saw  a  man,  naked  and  very  beautiful,  rising  from  the  abyss. 
On  his  head  was  an  iron  crown,  and  on  the  rim  of  the  crown 
these  words  inscribed  :  '  Sorrowful  till  the  day  of  judgment.' 

"  He  approached  the  throne  and  said  to  Christ : 

"  '  Thy  slave  I  am  until  that  day  when  I  shall  be  Thy 
master  ! ' 

"  *  O  Satan,'  said  Mary,  '  the  day  will  come  when  there 
shall  be  neither  slave  nor  master  any  more,  and  when  Christ 
who  is  Love,  and  Satan  who  is  Pride,  shall  stand  forth  together 
as  the  One  Lord  both  of  Power  and  of  Knowledge.' 

"  '  Woman,'  said  Satan,  *  thou  art  all  goodness  and  all 
beauty.' 

"  Then  addressing  himself  to  Christ,  and  pointing  at  the 

123 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

same  time  towards  the  Emperor,  Satan  demanded  what  was 
to  be  done  with  him.     Christ  answered : 

"  (  Take  this  crowned  wormling  and  put  him  in  a  room 
wherein  you  have  collected  together  all  instruments  of  torture 
which  were  in  use  under  his  rule.  And  each  time  that  some 
innocent  wretch  is  made  to  suffer  the  torture  of  water, 
whereby  the  bodies  of  men  swell  up  like  bladders  ;  or  the 
torture  of  the  candles,  whereby  the  soles  of  their  feet  or  their 
armpits  are  burned  and  scorched  ;  or  the  torture  of  the 
strappado,  whereby  their  limbs  are  broken  ;  or  the  torture 
of  the  four  wagons  that  drags  them  asunder — and  every  time 
that  a  free  soul  breathes  out  its  last  upon  the  funeral  pile 
let  this  man  also  endure  in  his  turn  these  same  deaths  and 
tortures,  to  the  end  that  he  may  learn  in  his  own  person  what 
evil  may  be  wrought  in  the  world  by  an  unjust  man  who  has 
power  over  his  fellows.  Let  him  languish  in  prison,  let  him 
meet  death  upon  the  scaffold,  let  him  mourn  in  exile,  far 
from  his  native  land,  let  him  be  scorned,  abused,  and  flogged 
with  many  whips.  Let  him  know  what  it  is  to  be  rich  and 
see  all  his  property  eaten  up  by  the  tax-gatherer,  let  him  be 
accused  by  informers  and  ruined  by  confiscations.  Turn 
him  into  an  ass  that  he  may  know  what  it  is  to  be  gentle  by 
nature  and  at  the  same  time  ill-treated  and  badly  fed  ;  let 
him  be  a  poor  man  that  asks  for  alms  and  is  answered  only 
with  abuse  ;  let  him  be  a  workman  that  labours  too  long 
and  eats  too  little  ;  and  then,  when  he  has  thus  well  suffered 
both  in  his  body  and  his  soul,  turn  him  into  a  dog  that  he 
may  be  beaten,  an  Indian  slave  that  he  may  be  sold  to  the 
highest  bidder,  a  soldier  that  he  may  fight  for  another  and  be 
killed  without  knowing  why.  And  then,  at  the  end  of  three 
hundred  years,  when  he  has  exhausted  all  sufferings  and  all 
miseries,  make  a  free  man  of  him,  and  if  in  that  state  of  life 
he  is  good  like  Claes  here,  you  may  lay  at  last  his  body  to 
rest  in  some  quiet  corner  of  earth  that  is  shady  in  the  noonday 
heat  and  open  to  the  morning  sun,  and  there  beneath  a  beautiful 
124 


Judgment  on  the  Emperor 

tree  and  covered  with  fresh  sward,  he  shall  find  eternal  repose. 
And  his  friends  shall  come  to  his  grave  to  moisten  it  with  their 
tears,  and  to  sow  violets  there,  which  are  called  the  flowers  of 
remembrance.' 

"  But  Mary  said  :  '  Have  mercy  upon  him,  O  my  Son  ;  he 
knew  not  what  he  did,  and  we  know  how  power  hardens  the 
heart.' 

"  l  There  is  no  mercy  for  him,'  said  Christ. 

"  '  Alas  ! '  cried  His  Sacred  Majesty, '  woe  is  me  !  Would 
that  I  had  but  a  single  glass  of  Andalusian  wine  ! ' 

"  '  Come,'  said  Satan,  '  it  is  past  the  time  for  wine  or 
meat  or  poultry  ! ' 

"  And  away  he  carried  off  the  soul  of  the  poor  Emperor, 
down  to  the  nethermost  hell,  still  nibbling  as  he  went  his 
piece  of  anchovy.  For  this  Satan  suffered  him  to  do  out 
of  pity. 

"  Thereafter  I  saw  that  Our  Lady  conducted  Claes  away 
and  up  into  the  highest  heaven,  where  is  nothing  but  stars 
hanging  from  the  roof  like  clusters  of  grapes.  And  there  the 
angels  washed  him  clean,  and  he  became  all  beautiful  and 
young,  and  they  gave  him  rystpap  to  drink  in  silver  ladles. 
And  then  the  heavens  closed." 

"  Claes  is  in  glory,"  said  the  widow. 

"  His  ashes  beat  against  my  heart,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

XLIV 

During  all  the  three  and  twenty  days  that  followed, 
Katheline  grew  paler  and  paler,  and  thin  and  all  dried  up  as 
though  devoured  not  only  by  the  madness  that  consumed  her 
but  by  some  interior  fire  that  was  even  deadlier  still.  No 
more  did  she  cry  out  as  of  old  :  "  Fire !  Fire  !  Dig  a  hole  ! 
My  soul  wants  to  get  out ! "  But  she  was  continually 
transported  into  a  kind  of  ecstasy,  in  which  she  spake  to 
Nele  many  strange  words. 

•  "  A  wife  I  am,"  she  said,  "  and  a  wife  you  also  ought  to  be. 

125 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

My  husband  is  a  handsome  man.  A  hairy  man  is  he,  hot 
with  love.  But  his  knees  and  his  arms,  they  are  cold  !  "  And 
Soetkin  looked  at  her  sadly,  wondering  what  new  kind  of 
madness  this  might  be.  But  Katheline  continued  : 

"  Three  times  three  are  nine,  the  sacred  number.  He 
whose  eyes  glitter  in  the  night  like  the  eyes  of  a  cat — he  only 
it  is  that  sees  the  mystery." 

One  evening  when  Katheline  was  talking  in  this  way, 
Soetkin  made  a  gesture  of  misgiving.  But  Katheline  said  : 

"  Under  Saturn,  four  and  three  mean  misfortune.  But 
under  Venus,  it  is  the  marriage  number.  Cold  arms  !  Cold 
knees  !  Heart  of  fire  !  " 

Soetkin  answered  : 

"  It  is  wrong  to  talk  in  this  way  of  these  wicked  pagan 
idols." 

But  Katheline  only  crossed  herself  and  said  : 

"  Blessed  be  the  grey  horseman.  Nele  must  have  a 
husband — a  handsome  husband  that  carries  a  sword,  a  dusky 
husband  with  a  shining  face  !  " 

"  Yes,"  cried  Ulenspiegel,  "  a  very  fricassee  of  a  husband, 
for  whom  I  will  make  a  sauce  with  my  knife  !  " 

Nele  looked  at  her  lover  with  eyes  that  were  moist  with 
pleasure  to  see  him  so  jealous. 

"  None  of  your  husbands  for  me  !  "  she  said. 

But  Katheline  made  answer  : 

"  When  cometh  he  ?  He  that  is  clad  in  grey,  and  booted 
and  spurred  ?  " 

Soetkin  bade  them  say  a  prayer  to  God  for  the  poor 
afflicted  one,  whereupon  Katheline  in  her  madness  ordered 
Ulenspiegel  go  and  fetch  four  quarts  of  dobbel  kuyt  what  time 
she  made  ready  some  heete-koeken,  as  pancakes  are  called  in 
Flanders. 

Soetkin  asked  her  why  she  wished  to  make  festival  on  a 
Saturday  like  the  Jews. 

"  Because  the  butter  is  ready,"  said  Katheline. 
126 


A  Husband  for  Nele 

So  Ulenspiegel  stood  up  and  took  in  his  hand  the  big  pot 
of  English  pewter  that  held  just  four  quarts. 

"  Mother,"  he  asked,  "  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

"  Go,"  said  Katheline. 

Soetkin  did  not  like  to  say  anything  more,  for  she  was  not 
mistress  of  the  house.  So  she  told  her  son  to  go  and  do  as 
Katheline  had  bidden  him.  Ulenspiegel  ran  to  the  tavern 
and  brought  back  with  him  the  four  quarts  of  dobbel  kuyt. 
And  soon  the  kitchen  reeked  with  the  good  smell  of  pancakes, 
and  every  one  felt  hungry,  even  the  poor  afflicted  Katheline. 

Ulenspiegel  ate  heartily,  and  drank  heartily  also,  for 
Katheline  had  given  him  a  full  tankard,  saying,  with  a 
malicious  look,  that  it  behoved  him  to  drink  more  than  the 
others  seeing  that  he  was  the  only  male  and  the  head  of  the 
house.  Afterwards  she  asked  him  to  give  them  a  song. 

But  Ulenspiegel  did  not  sing,  and  Nele  was  all  tearful, 
seeing  Soetkin  so  pale,  and  as  it  were  all  sunken  into  herself. 
Katheline  alone  of  them  all  appeared  to  be  happy. 

When  the  meal  was  over  Soetkin  and  Ulenspiegel  went 
up  into  the  loft  to  bed.  Katheline  and  Nele  stayed  behind, 
for  they  slept  together  in  the  kitchen. 

All  was  quiet  until  the  second  hour  after  midnight. 
Ulenspiegel  had  already  been  asleep  for  a  long  time  because 
of  all  the  beer  he  had  been  drinking.  But  Soetkin,  as  her 
custom  was,  lay  on  with  eyes  wide  open,  praying  Our  Lady 
to  send  her  sleep,  but  with  no  avail. 

All  of  a  sudden  she  heard  the  cry  of  a  sea-eagle,  and  from 
the  kitchen  came  a  like  cry,  in  answer.  Then,  from  far  off 
in  the  country  somewhere,  other  cries  resounded,  always  as 
it  seemed  in  answer  to  that  cry  in  the  kitchen  just  below. 

Soetkin  tried  to  think  it  was  only  the  night-birds  calling 
to  one  another,  and  endeavoured  to  distract  her  attention 
from  those  sounds.  But  presently  she  heard  a  neighing  of 
horses  and  a  noise  as  of  iron  sabots  beating  along  the  high 
road.  Then  it  was  that  she  opened  the  window  of  the  loft 

127 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

and  saw  that  in  very  fact  there  were  a  couple  of  horses 
saddled  just  outside  the  cottage,  pawing  the  ground  and  nib- 
bling the  grass  that  grew  by  the  side  of  the  road.  Thereafter 
she  heard  the  voice  of  a  woman  crying  out  in  fear,  and  a  man's 
voice  threatening,  followed  by  the  sound  of  blows,  more 
cries,  a  door  shutting  with  a  bang,  and  then  steps  running 
up  the  ladder  in  mortal  fear  : 

All  his  time  Ulenspiegel  was  snoring  away  in  his  bed, 
hearing  nothing,  till  the  door  of  the  loft  opened  and  Nele 
came  in,  out  of  breath,  sobbing,  and  with  scarcely  anything 
on.  As  hastily  as  she  could  the  girl  dragged  against  the  door  a 
table,  some  chairs,  an  old  heating  stove,  any  bit  of  furniture 
that  was  to  hand.  With  these  she  made  a  rough-and-ready 
barricade.  Meanwhile,  outside,  the  last  stars  were  paling 
in  the  heavens  and  the  cocks  beginning  to  crow. 

Ulenspiegel  had  turned  over  in  his  bed  at  the  noise  Nele 
was  making,  but  now  he  had  gone  to  sleep  again.  Nele, 
meanwhile,  had  thrown  herself  on  to  Soetkin's  neck. 

"  Soetkin,"  she  said, "  I  am  afraid.    Light  the  candle,  do !  " 

Soetkin  did  so,  and  all  the  time  Nele  never  left  off  moan- 
ing. By  the  light  of  the  candle  Soetkin  looked  the  girl  up 
and  down.  Her  shift  was  torn  at  the  shoulder  and  in  front, 
and  there  were  traces  of  blood  upon  her  neck  and  cheek,  such 
as  might  be  left  by  the  scratch  of  a  finger-nail. 

"  Whence  have  you  come  ?  And  what  are  these  wounds  ?  " 
Soetkin  asked  her. 

Trembling  and  groaning  all  the  time,  the  girl  made  answer : 

"  For  mercy's  sake,  Soetkin,  do  not  bring  us  to  the  stake  !  " 

Ulenspiegel  meanwhile  had  awakened  from  his  sleep,  and 
was  blinking  his  eyes  in  the  sudden  light  of  the  candle. 
Soetkin  said : 

"  Who  is  it  down  there  ?  " 

"  Not  so  loud  !  "  Nele  whispered.  "  It  is  the  husband 
Katheline  desired  for  me." 

All  at  once  Soetkin  and  Nele  heard  Katheline  cry  out  in  a 
128 


Nele  s  Escape 

loud  voice,  and  their  legs  gave  way  beneath  them  in  their 
terror. 

"  He  is  beating  her,"  said  Nele,  "  he  is  beating  her  because 
of  me  !  " 

"  Who  is  it  in  the  house  ?  "  cried  Ulenspiegel,  jumping 
out  of  bed.  And  then,  rubbing  his  eyes,  he  went  stalking  up 
and  down  the  room  till  at  last  he  found  a  heavy  poker  that 
stood  in  the  corner.  He  took  hold  of  it,  but  Nele  tried  to 
dissuade  him,  telling  him  that  there  was  no  one  there.  But 
he  paid  no  attention,  running  to  the  door  and  throwing  to 
one  side  the  chairs  and  tables  and  the  stove  that  Nele  had 
piled  up  in  front  of  it.  All  this  time  Katheline  was  crying 
out  from  the  kitchen,  and  Nele  and  Soetkin  held  Ulenspiegel 
— the  one  by  the  waist,  the  other  by  the  legs  —and  tried  to 
prevent  him  from  descending  the  stairs.  "  Don't  go  down," 
they  told  him.  "  Don't  go  down,  Ulenspiegel.  There  are 
devils  down  there." 

"  Forsooth,"  says  he,  "  Nele's  devil-husband !  Him 
verily  will  I  join  in  marriage  to  this  long  poker  of  mine !  A 
marriage  of  iron  and  flesh  !  Let  me  go  !  " 

But  they  did  not  loose  their  hold,  hanging  on  as  they  were 
to  the  landing  rail. 

And  all  the  time  Ulenspiegel  was  trying  to  drag  them  down 
the  staircase,  and  they  the  more  frightened  as  they  came  nearer 
to  the  devils  below.  And  they  could  avail  naught  against 
him,  so  that  at  last,  descending  now  by  leaps  and  bounds  like 
a  snowball  that  falls  from  the  top  of  a  mountain,  he  came  into 
the  kitchen.  And  there  was  Katheline,  all  exhausted  and 
pale  in  the  light  of  dawn. 

"  Hanske,"  she  was  saying,  "  O  Hanske,  why  must  you 
leave  me  ?  Is  it  my  fault  if  Nele  is  naughty  ?  " 

Ulenspiegel  did  not  take  any  notice  of  her,  but  straightway 
opened  the  door  of  the  shed,  and  finding  no  one  there,  rushed 
out  into  the  yard,  and  thence  into  the  high  road.  Far  away 
he  descried  two  horses  galloping  off  and  disappearing  in  the 

i  129 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspicgel 

mist.  He  ran  after  them  hoping  to  overtake  them,  but  he 
could  not,  for  they  went  like  a  south  wind  that  scours  the 
dry  autumn  leaves. 

Ulenspiegel  was  angry  with  disappointment,  and  he  came 
back  into  the  cottage  grieving  sore  in  his  heart  and  muttering 
between  his  teeth  : 

"  They  have  done  their  worst  on  her  !  They  have  done 
their  worst !  .  .  ." 

And  he  looked  on  Nele  with  eyes  that  burned  with  an  evil 
flame.  But  Nele,  all  trembling,  stood  up  before  Katheline 
and  the  widow. 

"  No ! "  she  cried.    "  No,  Tyl,  my  lover !    No ! " 

And  as  she  spoke  she  looked  him  straight  in  the  face,  so 
sadly  and  so  frankly  that  Ulenspiegel  saw  clearly  that  what 
she  said  was  true.  Then  he  spake  again,  and  questioned  her  : 

"  But  whence  came  those  cries,  and  whither  went  those 
men  ?  Why  is  your  shift  all  torn  on  the  shoulder  and  the 
back  ?  And  why  do  you  bear  on  forehead  and  cheek  these 
marks  of  a  man's  nails  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  she  said,  "  but  be  careful  that  you  do 
not  have  us  burned  at  the  stake  for  what  I  shall  tell  you. 
You  must  know  that  Katheline — whom  God  save  from  Hell — 
hath  had  these  three-and-twenty  days  a  devil  for  her  lover. 
He  is  dressed  all  in  black,  he  is  booted  and  spurred.  His  face 
gleams  with  a  flame  of  fire  like  what  one  sees  in  summer-time 
when  it  is  hot,  on  the  waves  of  the  sea." 

And  Katheline  whimpered  :  "  Why,  oh  why,  have  you  left 
me,  Hanske,  my  pet  ?  Nele  is  naughty ! " 

But  Nele  went  on  with  her  story  : 

"  The  devil  announces  his  approach  in  a  voice  that  i&like 
the  crying  of  a  sea-eagle.  Every  Saturday  my  mother 
receives  him  in  the  kitchen.  And  she  says  that  his  kisses  are 
cold  and  that  his  body  is  like  snow.  One  time  he  brought 
her  some  florins,  but  he  took  from  her  all  the  other  money 
that  she  had." 
130 


Neles  Story 

All  this  time  Soetkin  kept  on  praying  for  Katheline,  with 
clasped  hands.  But  Katheline  spake  joyfully  : 

"  My  body  is  mine  no  more.     My  mind  is  mine  no  more. 

0  Hanske,  my  pet,  take  me  with  you  yet  once  again,  I  beg 
you,  to  the  Witches'  Sabbath.     Only  Nele  will  never  come. 
Nele  is  naughty,  I  tell  you." 

But  Nele  went  on  with  her  story  : 

"  At  dawn,"  she  said,  "  the  devil  would  go  away,  and  the 
next  day  my  mother  would  relate  to  me  a  hundred  strange 
things.  But,  Tyl  dear,  you  must  not  look  at  me  with  those 
cruel  eyes.  .  .  .  Yesterday,  for  instance,  she  told  me  that  a 
splendid  prince,  clad  in  grey,  Hilbert  by  name,  was  anxious 
to  take  me  in  marriage,  and  that  he  was  coming  here  himself 
that  I  might  see  him.  I  told  her  that  I  wanted  no  husband, 
handsome  or  plain.  Nevertheless,  by  weight  of  her  maternal 
authority  she  persuaded  me  to  stay  up  for  him,  for  she 
certainly  keeps  all  her  wits  about  her  in  whatever  pertains 
to  her  amours.  Well,  we  were  half  undressed,  ready  to  go  to 
bed;  and  I  had  gone  off  to  sleep  sitting  on  that  chair.  It 
seems  that  I  did  not  wake  up  when  they  came  in,  and  the  first 
thing  I  knew  was  that  some  one  was  embracing  me  and  kissing 
me  on  the  neck.  And  then,  by  the  bright  light  of  the  moon, 

1  beheld  a  face  that  shone  like  the  crests  of  the  waves  of  a 
July  sea  when  there  is  thunder  in  the  air,  and  I  heard  a  low 
voice  speaking  to  me    and  saying :    '  I  am  your  husband, 
Hilbert.     Be  mine  !     I  will  make  thee  rich.'      And  from  the 
face  of  him  that  spake  these  words  there  came  an  odour  like 
the  odour  of  fish.     Quickly  I  pushed  that  face  away  from  me, 
but  the  man  tried  to  take  me  by  force,  and  although  I  had  the 
strength  of  ten  against  him,  he  managed  to  tear  my  shift  and 
scratch  my  face,  crying  out  the  while  that  if  only  I  would  give 
myself  to  him  he  would  make  me  rich.     '  Yes,'  I  answered, 
*  as  rich  as  my  mother,  whom  you  have  deprived  of  her  last 
Hard  \  '     At  that  he  redoubled  his  violence,  but  he  could  not 
do  anything  against  me.    And  at  last,  since  he  was  more 

131 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

disgusting  than  a  corpse,  I  scratched  him  in  the  eye  with  my 
nails  so  sharply  that  he  cried  out  with  pain,  and  I  was  able  to 
make  my  escape  and  run  up  here  to  Soetkin." 

And  all  this  while  Katheline  kept  on  with  her  "  Nele  is 
naughty.  And  why  did  you  go  away  so  soon,  O  Hanske, 
my  pet  ?  " 

But  Soetkin  asked  her  where  she  had  been  while  wicked 
men  were  attempting  the  honour  of  her  child. 

"  It  is  Nele  that  is  naughty,"  Katheline  replied.  "  As  for 
me,  I  was  in  company  of  my  black  master,  when  the  devil 
in  grey  comes  to  us,  with  his  face  all  bloody.  '  Come  away,' 
he  cries,  '  come  away,  my  boy,  this  is  an  evil  house ;  for  the 
men,  it  seems,  are  of  a  mind  to  fight  with  one  to  the  death, 
and  the  women  carry  knives  at  the  tips  of  their  fingers.' 
And  there  and  then  they  ran  off  to  their  horses,  and  dis- 
appeared in  the  mist.  Ah,  Nele,  Nele !  She  is  a  naughty 
lass,  I  tell  you  !  " 

XLV 

On  the  following  day,  while  they  were  making  a  meal  of 
hot  milk,  Soetkin  said  to  Katheline  : 

"  You  see  how  misfortune  is  already  driving  me  from  this 
world  ;  and  yet  you,  it  seems,  would  like  to  drive  me  away 
all  the  faster  by  your  accursed  sorceries  !  " 
But  Katheline  only  went  on  repeating  : 
"  Nele  is  naughty.     Come  back,  Hanske,  my  pet !  " 
It  was  the  following  Wednesday  when  the  two  devils  came 
again.    Ever  since  the  preceding  Saturday  Nele  had  slept  out 
at  the  house  of  a  widow  woman  named  Van  den  Route, 
saying,  by  way  of  excusing  herself,  that  she  could  not  stay 
with  Katheline  because  of  that  young  rogue  Ulenspiegel. 

Now  Katheline  welcomed  her  black  master  and  her 
master's  friend  out  in  the  keel,  which  is  to  say  the  laundry  or 
bakehouse  adjoining  the  cottage.  And  there  did  they  feast 
and  regale  themselves  with  old  wine  and  with  smoked  ox 
tongue,  which  viands  were  always  prepared  and  ready  in 
132 


Katheline  s  Black  Master 

that  place  for  them.     And  the  black  devil  said  to  Kathe- 
line  : 

"  You  must  know,  Katheline,  that  we  are  engaged  in  a 
mighty  work,  and  to  accomplish  it  we  have  need  of  a  large 
sum  of  money.  Give  us,  I  pray  you,  what  you  can." 

When  she  only  offered  them  a  florin  they  threatened  to 
kill  her.  But  when  she  had  raised  the  amount  to  a  couple  of 
golden  caroluses  and  seven  deniers  they  let  her  off. 

"  Come  not  again  on  Saturdays,"  she  told  them,  "  for 
Ulenspiegel  has  discovered  that  your  custom  it  is  to  come  on 
that  day,  and  he  will  certainly  be  waiting  for  you  and  will  beat 
you  to  death,  and  that  would  be  the  death  of  me  as  well." 

"  We  will  come  next  Tuesday,"  they  told  her. 

Now  on  that  day  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  went  to  sleep 
without  any  anxiety,  thinking  that  the  devils  only  came  to 
the  cottage  on  Saturdays.  But  Katheline  got  out  of  bed 
secretly  and  went  into  the  yard  to  see  if  her  friends  had 
arrived.  She  was  very  impatient,  for  since  seeing  Hanske 
again  her  madness  had  abated,  for  hers  was  a  lover's  madness, 
as  they  say. 

But  to-night  she  could  nowhere  see  her  friends,  and  she 
was  greatly  distressed,  so  that  when,  presently,  she  heard  the 
cry  of  the  sea-eagle  coming  as  it  seemed  from  the  open  country 
in  the  direction  of  Sluys,  she  went  out  towards  that  cry, 
making  her  way  across  the  field  by  the  side  of  a  tall  dike  that 
was  constructed  of  sticks  and  grass.  She  had  not  gone  far 
when  she  heard  the  two  devils  conversing  together  at  the 
other  side  of  the  dike.  And  one  of  them  said  : 

"  Half  shall  be  mine." 

And  the  other  answered  : 

"  No.  Nothing  of  the  kind.  What  is  Katheline's  belongs 
to  me.  All  of  it." 

Then  they  blasphemed  together  most  terribly,  disputing 
as  to  which  of  the  two  should  be  possessed  of  the  property  and 
the  love  of  Katheline  and  of  Nele  into  the  bargain.  Paralysed 

133 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

with  fear,  daring  neither  to  speak  nor  to  move,  Katheline 
presently  heard  them  fall  to  righting  with  one  another.  And 
then  one  of  the  devils  cried  aloud  : 

"  Ah  !    The  cold  steel !  " 

And  after  that  there  came  the  sound  of  a  death-rattle, 
and  of  a  body  falling  heavily. 

Terrified  as  she  was,  Katheline  returned  to  the  cottage. 

At  two  of  the  morning  she  heard  once  more  the  cry  of  the 
sea-eagle,  but  this  time  close  at  hand  in  the  yard.  She  went 
to  the  door  and  opened  it,  and  saw  her  devil  lover  standing 
there  all  alone. 

She  asked  him  what  he  had  done  with  his  friend. 

"  He  will  not  come  again,"  he  told  her. 

Then  he  kissed  her  and  caressed  her,  and  his  kisses  seemed 
colder  than  ever  before.  When  the  time  came  for  him  to 
depart,  he  asked  her  to  give  him  twenty  florins.  This  was 
all  that  she  had,  but  she  gave  him  seventeen. 

The  next  day  she  could  not  control  her  curiosity,  and 
walked  out  along  by  the  dike.  But  she  found  nothing, 
except  at  one  place  a  mark  on  the  grass  about  the  size  of  a 
man's  coffin  ;  and  the  grass  was  wet  underfoot  and  red  with 
blood.  But  that  evening  rain  fell,  washing  the  blood  away. 

On  the  following  Wednesday  Katheline  heard  yet  again 
the  cry  of  the  sea-eagle  in  the  yard. 

XLVI 

Now  whenever  any  money  was  needed  to  pay  for  the 
expenses  of  Katheline's  household,  Ulenspiegel  was  accus- 
tomed to  go  by  night  to  the  hole  by  the  well  wherein  had  been 
hidden  the  money  left  by  Claes.  He  would  lift  up  the  stone 
that  covered  the  top  of  the  well  and  would  take  out  a  carolus. 

One  evening  the  two  women  were  busy  with  their  spinning, 
while  Ulenspiegel  sat  carving  a  chest  which  had  been  com- 
missioned from  him  by  the  town  bailiff.  And  upon  the  side 
of  the  chest  he  was  carving  a  hunting  scene.  Very  beautiful 

134 


The  Hidden  Treasure 

it  was  and  cleverly  carved,  with  a  pack  of  hounds  running  in 
pairs  closely  following  one  another,  chasing  their  quarry. 

Katheline  was  there,  and  Nele  asked  Soetkin  absent- 
mindedly  if  she  had  found  a  safe  hiding-place  for  her  treasure. 
Thinking  no  harm,  the  widow  answered  that  it  would  be 
hard  to  find  a  safer  place  than  the  side  of  the  well  wall. 

Near  midnight  of  the  following  Thursday  Soetkin  was 
awakened  by  Bibulus  Schnouffius,  who  was  barking  fiercely. 
But  soon  he  was  quiet  again,  and  Soetkin,  thinking  that  it 
was  a  false  alarm,  turned  over  and  went  to  sleep. 

The  next  day  when  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  rose  at  dawn 
they  were  surprised  to  find  no  Katheline  in  the  kitchen, 
neither  was  the  fire  lit,  nor  was  there  any  milk  boiling  on  the 
fire  as  usual.  They  were  surprised  at  this  and  went  out  to 
see  if  perchance  she  was  in  the  yard.  And  there  they  found 
her,  all  dishevelled  in  her  linen  shift,  notwithstanding  that 
it  was  drizzling  with  rain,  and  she  was  all  damp  and  shivering, 
and  stood  there,  not  daring  to  come  in. 

Ulenspiegel  went  up  to  her  and  asked  her  what  she  was 
doing  half  naked  there  in  the  rain  ? 

"  Ah !  "  she  said.  "  Yes,  yes.  Strange  things  have 
happened  !  Strange,  wonderful  things  !  " 

And  as  she  spoke  she  pointed  to  the  ground,  and  they  saw 
the  dog  lying  there  with  its  throat  cut,  all  dead  and  stiff. 

Ulenspiegel's  thoughts  ran  at  once  to  the  treasure.  He 
hastened  to  the  hole  by  the  well,  and  found  as  he  had  feared 
that  it  was  empty,  and  all  around  the  earth  scattered  about 
far  and  wide. 

He  ran  back  to  Katheline  and  struck  her  with  his  hand. 

"  Where  are  the  caroluses  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  Yes  !  Yes  !  Strange  things  have  been  happening  !  " 
she  answered. 

"  Have  Nele  tried  to  protect  her  mother  from  the  wrath  of 
Ulenspiegel. 

At  this  mercy,  have  pity,"  she  cried,  "  O  Ulenspiegel ! " 

135 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Then  he  stopped  beating  the  wretched  woman,  and  at  the 
same  moment  Soetkin  appeared  on  the  scene  and  wanted 
to  know  what  was  the  matter. 

Ulenspiegel  showed  her  the  dog  with  its  throat  cut  and  the 
empty  hole.  Soetkin  turned  pale,  and  cried  out  most  sorrowfully: 

"  O  God,  thou  hast  brought  me  low  indeed ! " 

And  Nele,  seeing  how  gentle  Soetkin  was,  wept  also  and  was 
very  sorrowful.  But  Katheline,  flourishing  a  piece  of  parch- 
ment that  she  held  in  her  hand,  began  to  speak  in  this  wise  : 

"  Yes,  yes.  Strange  things  and  wonderful  have  come  to 
pass  this  night !  For  he  came  to  me,  my  good  one,  my  beauti- 
ful. And  no  longer  did  his  face  display  that  ghastly  glitter 
which  makes  me  so  afraid.  And  it  was  with  a  great  tender- 
ness in  his  voice  that  he  addressed  me.  Yes,  I  was  overcome 
with  love  for  him,  and  my  heart  was  melted  within  me. 
'  I  am  a  rich  man,'  he  told  me,  '  and  soon  I  will  bring  thee  a 
thousand  florins  in  gold.'  '  So  be  it,'  I  answered  him.  c  I 
rejoice  for  your  sake  rather  than  for  mine,  Hanske,  my  pet.' 
'  But  is  there  no  one  else  in  your  cottage,'  he  asked,  '  that 
you  love,  perhaps,  and  would  rejoice  to  see  enriched  by  me 
also  ? '  *  No,'  I  replied.  '  They  that  live  here  have  no  need 
of  any  help  of  thine.'  *  You  are  proud,  it  seems,'  he 
answered.  '  Soetkin  and  Ulenspiegel,  are  they  then  so  rich 
as  to  need  nothing  ?  '  '  They  live  without  the  help  of 
any,'  I  told  him.  '  In  spite  of  the  confiscations  ? '  he  asked. 
But  then  I  laughed  aloud,  and  said  that  he  knew  that  they 
would  not  be  such  simpletons  as  to  hide  their  treasure  in  the 
house  where  it  could  be  easily  found.  *  Nor  yet  in  the 
cellar  ?  '  he  persisted.  '  Of  course  not,'  I  told  him.  *  Nor 
yet  in  the  yard  ?  '  To  that  I  answered  not  a  word.  '  Ah,' 
he  said,  *  that  would  indeed  be  a  piece  of  imprudence.' 
1  Not  so  imprudent  as  all  that,'  I  answered,  '  for  neither 
walls  nor  water  have  tongues.'  And  at  that  he  began 
laughing  to  himself.  Presently  he  went  away,  earlier  it  was 
than  usual.  But  first  he  gave  me  a  powder,  telling  me  that 
136 


The  Empty  Hole 

if  I  took  it  I  should  be  spirited  away  to  the  finest  of  all  the 
Sabbaths.  I  accompanied  him  a  little  way  just  as  I  was, 
as  far  as  the  door  of  the  yard,  and  I  seemed  half  asleep,  and 
soon  I  found  myself,  even  as  he  had  told  me,  at  the  Witches' 
Sabbath,  and  I  did  not  return  from  thence  until  the  morning. 
Then  it  was  that  I  found  myself  here  as  you  see  me,  and 
discovered  the  dog  with  his  throat  cut,  and  the  empty  hole. 
And  this  is  a  heavy  blow  to  me,  to  me  that  loved  him  so 
tenderly,  and  had  given  to  him  my  very  soul.  But  whatso- 
ever I  have  shall  be  yours,  and  I  will  labour  with  my  hands 
and  my  feet  to  keep  you  alive,  never  fear." 

But  Soetkin  said  : 

"  I  am  become  even  as  the  corn  beneath  the  grindstone. 
God  and  this  devil  robber  are  heavy  upon  me  both  at  once." 

"  Robber  do  you  call  him  ?  "  cried  Katheline.  "  Speak  not 
so.  He  is  a  devil,  a  devil  I  say  !  And  for  proof  I  will  show 
to  you  this  parchment  which  he  left  behind  him  in  the  yard, 
and  on  it  is  written,  '  Forget  not  to  serve  me,  and  behold,  in 
three  times  two  weeks  and  five  days  I  will  render  thee  back 
again  twice  as  much  again  as  the  treasure  I  have  now  taken 
from  thee.  Doubt  not,  or  else  thou  wilt  surely  die.'  And 
oh,"  cried  Katheline,  "  of  a  surety  he  will  keep  his  word !  " 

"  Poor  mad  thing,"  said  Soetkin. 

And  this  was  the  only  word  of  reproach  that  she  uttered. 

XLVII 

Six  months  passed,  and  the  devil  lover  came  no  more. 
Nevertheless  Katheline  did  not  live  without  hope  of  seeing 
her  Hanske  again. 

Soetkin  meanwhile  had  given  up  her  work  altogether,  and 
was  always  to  be  found  sitting  huddled  up  in  front  of  the 
fire ;  and  her  cough  never  left  her.  Nele  provided  the 
choicest  and  most  sweetly  smelling  herbs,  but  no  remedy  had 
any  power  over  her.  As  for  Ulenspiegel,  he  never  left  the 
cottage  for  fear  that  his  mother  might  die  while  he  was  out. 

137 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

At  last  there  came  a  time  when  the  widow  could  neither 
eat  nor  drink  without  being  sick.  The  surgeon  (who  also 
carried  on  the  trade  of  a  barber)  came  to  bleed  her,  and  when 
the  blood  had  been  taken  away  she  was  so  enfeebled  that  she 
could  not  leave  her  chair.  And  at  last  the  evening  came 
when  she  cried  out,  all  wasted  with  pain  : 

"  Claes  !  Husband  !  And  Tyl,  my  son  !  Thanks  be  to 
God  for  He  taketh  me  !  " 

And  with  a  sigh  she  died. 

Katheline  did  not  dare  to  watch  by  that  bed  of  death,  so 
Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  kept  watch  together,  and  all  night  long 
they  prayed  for  her  that  was  gone. 

As  the  dawn  broke  a  swallow  came  flying  in  by  the  open 
window. 

Nele  said :  "  The  bird  of  souls  !  It  is  a  good  omen.  Soet- 
kin  is  in  heaven  !  " 

The  swallow  flew  three  times  round  the  room,  and  de- 
parted with  a  cry.  Then  there  came  a  second  swallow, 
larger  it  was  and  darker  than  the  first.  It  fluttered  around 
Ulenspiegel,  and  he  said  : 

"  Father  and  mother,  the  ashes  beat  upon  my  breast. 
Whatsoever  you  command  me,  that  will  I  do." 

And  the  second  swallow  went  off  with  a  cry,  just  as  the 
first  had  done.  And  Ulenspiegel  saw  thousands  of  swallows 
skimming  over  the  fields.  And  the  sun  rose. 

And  Soetkin  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  poor. 

XLVIII 

After  the  death  of  Soetkin  Ulenspiegel  grew  dreamy, 
sorrowful,  and  angry,  and  he  would  wander  about  the  fields, 
hearing  nothing,  taking  what  food  or  drink  was  put  before 
him,  and  never  choosing  for  himself.  And  oftentimes  he  rose 
from  his  bed  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  went  out  into  the 
country  alone. 

In  vain  did  the  gentle  voice  of  Nele  urge  him  not  to 
138 


TyFs  Vengeance 

despair,  in  vain  did  Katheline  assure  him  that  Soetkin  was  now 
in  Paradise  with  Claes.  To  both  alike  Tyl  answered  : 

"  The  ashes  beat  upon  my  breast." 

And  he  was  as  one  mad,  and  Nele  was  sorrowful  because 
of  him. 

Meanwhile,  Grypstuiver  the  fishmonger  dwelt  alone  in  his 
house,  like  a  parricide,  daring  only  to  come  out  in  the  evening. 
For  if  any  man  or  woman  passed  him  on  the  road  they  would 
shout  after  him  and  call  him  "  murderer."  And  the  little 
children  ran  away  when  they  saw  him,  for  they  had  been  told 
that  he  was  a  hangman.  So  he  wandered  about  by  himself,  not 
venturing  to  enter  any  of  the  taverns  that  are  in  Damme,  for  the 
finger  of  scorn  was  pointed  at  him,  and  if  ever  he  stood  in  the 
bar  for  a  minute,  they  that  were  drinking  there  left  the  tavern. 

The  result  was  that  no  innkeeper  desired  him  as  a  customer 
any  more,  and  whenever  he  presented  himself  at  their  houses 
they  would  shut  the  door  on  him.  The  fishmonger  would 
make  a  humble  remonstrance,  but  they  answered  that  they 
had  a  licence  to  sell  wine  certainly,  but  that  they  were  not 
obliged  to  sell  it  against  their  will. 

The  fishmonger  grew  impatient  at  this,  and  in  future 
when  he  wanted  a  drink  he  would  go  to  the  In  't  Roode  Falck — 
at  the  sign  of  the  Red  Falcon — a  little  cabaret  outside  the  town 
on  the  banks  of  the  Sluys  canal.  There  they  served  him,  for 
they  were  hard  up  at  that  inn,  and  glad  to  get  anything  from 
any  one.  But  even  so,  the  innkeeper  never  entered  into  conver- 
sation with  him,  nor  did  his  wife  either.  Now  in  that  house 
there  were  also  two  children  and  a  dog ;  but  when  the  fish- 
monger made  as  though  he  would  kiss  the  children  they  ran 
away,  and  the  dog,  when  he  called  him,  tried  to  bite  him. 

One  evening  Ulenspiegel  was  standing  on  his  doorstep  in  a 
dream,  and  Mathyssen,  the  cooper,  happening  to  pass  by, 
saw  him  standing  there,  and  said  to  him  : 

"  If  you  worked  with  your  hands  belike  you  would  forget 
this  grievous  blow." 

139 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

But  Ulenspiegel  answered :  "  The  ashes  of  Claes  beat 
upon  my  breast." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Mathyssen,  "  there  lives  a  man  who  is  sadder 
even  than  you  are — Grypstuiver  the  fishmonger.  None 
speaks  to  him,  and  all  avoid  him,  so  much  so  that  when  he  wants 
his  pint  of  bruinbier  he  is  forced  to  go  out  all  alone  to  the 
poor  folk  of  the  Roode  Valck.  Verily  he  is  well  punished." 

"  The  ashes  beat  .  .  ."  Ulenpiegel  answered  him  again. 

And  the  same  evening,  when  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame  were 
sounding  the  ninth  hour,  Ulenspiegel  sallied  forth  towards 
the  Roode  Valck ,  but  failing  to  find  the  fishmonger  there  as 
he  had  expected,  he  went  wandering  along  under  the  trees  that 
grow  by  the  canal-side.  It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night. 

Presently  he  saw  the  figure  of  the  murderer  coming  towards 
him.  He  passed  close  in  front  of  Ulenspiegel,  who  could  hear 
what  he  was  saying,  for  the  fishmonger  was  talking  to  himself, 
as  is  the  custom  of  they  who  live  much  alone. 

"  Where  have  they  hidden  it  ?  "  he  muttered.  "  Where 
have  they  hidden  the  money  ?  "  But  Ulenspiegel  answered 
the  question  for  him  by  giving  him  a  great  blow  in  the  face. 

"  Alas  !  "  cried  the  fishmonger  as  he  felt  the  hand  of 
Ulenspiegel  upon  him.  "Alas,  I  know  you!  You  are  his 
son  !  But  have  pity  on  me.  Have  pity !  For  I  am  weak 
and  aged,  and  what  I  did  to  your  father  was  not  done  out  of 
malice,  but  in  the  service  of  His  Majesty.  Only  deign  to 
forgive  me,  and  I  will  give  you  back  again  all  the  goods  that 
I  have  bought,  and  you  shall  not  pay  me  a  penny.  You  shall 
have  everything,  and  half  a  florin  over  and  above,  for  I  am 
not  a  rich  man.  No,  you  must  not  think  that  I  am  rich  !  " 

And  he  was  about  to  kneel  down  in  front  of  Ulenspiegel. 
But  seeing  him  so  ugly,  so  craven,  and  so  base,  Ulenspiegel 
took  hold  of  him  and  threw  him  into  the  canal. 

And  he  went  away. 


140 


The  Charm 

XLIX 

And  from  many  a  funeral  pyre  there  ascended  to  heaven 
the  smoke  from  the  flesh  of  the  victims,  and  Ulenspiegel, 
thinking  ever  upon  Claes  and  Soetkin,  wept  in  his  loneliness. 

At  last,  one  evening,  he  went  to  find  Katheline,  thinking 
to  inquire  of  her  some  way  of  remedy  or  revenge. 

She  was  alone  with  Nele,  sewing  by  the  light  of  the  lamp. 
At  the  sound  which  Ulenspiegel  made  as  he  came  in,  Kathe- 
line raised  her  head  slowly  like  one  that  is  awakened  from  a 
heavy  sleep. 

He  said :  "  The  ashes  of  Claes  beat  upon  my  breast,  and 
I  am  fain  to  do  somewhat  to  save  this  land  of  Flanders. 
But  what  can  I  do  ?  I  have  entreated  the  great  God  of 
earth  and  heaven,  but  he  has  answered  me  nothing." 

Katheline  said  :  "  The  great  God  cannot  hear  you.  First 
of  all  you  should  have  recourse  to  the  spirits  of  the  elemental 
world,  for  they,  uniting  in  themselves  two  natures,  both 
celestial  and  terrestrial,  are  enabled  to  receive  the  plaints  of 
men  and  hand  them  on  unto  the  angels,  who  themselves  in 
their  turn  carry  them  up  thereafter  to  the  Throne." 

"  Help  me,"  he  said,  "  only  help  me  now,  and  I  will  repay 
you  with  my  blood  if  need  be." 

"  I  can  help  you,"  said  Katheline,  "  on  one  condition 
only :  that  a  girl  who  loves  you  is  willing  to  take  you  with  her 
to  the  Sabbath  of  the  Spirits  of  Spring,  which  is  the  Easter  of 
Fruitfulness." 

"  I  will  take  him,"  said  Nele. 

Whereupon  Katheline  took  a  crystal  goblet  and  poured 
into  it  a  certain  mixture  of  a  greyish  colour,  and  she  gave  it 
to  them  both  to  drink,  and  rubbed  their  temples  with  this 
mixture,  and  their  nostrils  likewise,  and  the  palms  of  their 
hands,  and  their  wrists,  and  she  also  caused  them  to  eat  a  pinch 
of  white  powder,  and  then  she  told  them  to  gaze  the  one  at  the 
other  in  such  manner  that  their  two  souls  might  become  one. 

141 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Ulenspiegel  looked  at  Nele,  and  straightway  the  sweet 
eyes  of  the  girl  illumined  in  him  a  mighty  flame,  and  because 
of  the  mixture  he  had  taken  he  felt  as  it  were  a  thousand 
crabs  nipping  his  skin  all  over  him. 

After  that  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  undressed,  and  very 
beautiful  they  looked  in  the  lamplight,  he  in  the  pride  of  his 
manly  strength,  and  she  in  all  her  youthful  grace  and  sweet- 
ness. But  they  were  not  able  to  see  one  another,  for  already 
it  was  as  though  they  were  asleep.  Then  Katheline  rested 
the  neck  of  Nele  upon  the  arm  of  Ulenspiegel,  and  taking  his 
hand  she  placed  it  upon  the  young  girl's  heart.  And  there 
they  stayed,  all  naked,  lying  side  by  side.  And  to  both  of 
them  it  seemed  that  their  bodies,  where  they  touched,  were 
made  of  tender  fire,  like  the  sun  itself  in  the  month  of  roses. 

Then,  as  they  afterwards  related,  they  climbed  together 
on  to  the  window-sill,  whence  they  threw  themselves  out  into 
space,  and  felt  the  air  all  round  them,  buoying  them  up  as 
the  waters  buoy  up  the  ships  at  sea. 

Thereafter  they  lost  all  consciousness,  seeing  naught  of 
earth  where  slept  poor  mortals,  nor  yet  of  heaven  whose 
clouds  were  rolling  now  beneath  their  feet ;  for  now  they 
had  set  their  feet  upon  Sirius,  the  frozen  star,  and  from  thence 
again  they  were  flung  upon  the  Pole. 

There  it  was  that  a  fearful  sight  awaited  them,  a  giant  all 
naked,  the  Giant  Winter.  His  hair  was  wild  and  tawny,  and 
he  was  seated  on  an  ice-floe,  with  his  back  resting  against  a 
wall  of  ice.  Near  by  in  the  pools  of  water  there  disported  a 
host  of  bears  and  seals,  bellowing  all  round  him.  In  a 
hoarse  voice  the  giant  summoned  to  his  presence  the  hail- 
storms and  the  snow-storms  and  the  icy  showers ;  also  there 
came  at  his  behest  the  grey  clouds  and  brown  odorous 
mists,  and  the  winds  among  whom  is  the  sharp  north  wind, 
he  that  blows  the  strongest  of  all.  Such  were  the  terrors 
that  raged  together  in  that  place  of  bane. 

But  smiling  in  the  midst,  the  giant  reclined  on  a  bed  of 
142 


The  Lord  of  the  Spring 

flowers  that  had  been  withered  by  his  own  hand,  and  of  leaves 
dried  by  his  very  breath.  Then,  leaning  down  and  scratching 
the  ground  with  his  finger-nails,  and  biting  it  with  his  teeth, 
the  giant  began  to  burrow  a  great  pit.  For  he  wanted  to 
discover  the  heart  of  the  earth  to  devour  it,  and  to  put  the 
blackened  coal  where  once  there  had  been  shady  forests,  and 
chaff  where  once  had  been  corn,  and  barren  sand  in  place  of 
fruitful  soil.  But  old  earth's  heart  was  made  of  fire,  so 
that  he  dared  not  touch  it  but  recoiled  therefrom  in  dread. 

There  he  sat  like  a  king  upon  his  throne,  draining  his  horn 
of  oil.  All  round  him  were  his  bears  and  seals,  and  the 
skeletons  of  those  whom  he  had  killed  on  the  high  seas  or 
on  the  dry  land  or  in  the  cottages  of  the  poor.  He  listened 
joyfully  to  the  roaring  of  the  bears,  to  the  braying  of  the  seals, 
and  to  the  sound  made  by  the  skeletons  of  men  and  animals 
as  the  bones  clicked  together  beneath  the  claws  of  the  crows 
and  vultures  that  came  for  the  last  remaining  piece  of  flesh 
that  might  still  adhere  to  them.  And  sweet  also  to  his  ears 
was  the  noise  the  ice-floes  made  as  they  were  driven  one 
against  another  by  the  waves  of  that  dreary  sea. 

And  when  he  spoke,  the  voice  of  the  giant  was  even  as  the 
roaring  of  a  hurricane  or  as  the  noise  of  winter  storms,  or  as 
the  wind  howling  in  the  chimneys. 

"  I  am  cold  and  afraid,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  He  is  powerless  against  immortal  souls,"  said  Nele. 

Even  as  she  spoke  a  great  commotion  arose  among  the  seals, 
who  began  to  rush  back  into  the  sea  with  all  haste.  And  it  was 
apparent  that  the  bears  also  were  afraid  for  they  lay  back  their 
ears  and  began  to  bellow  most  piteously.  As  for  the  crows 
and  ravens,  they  cawed  as  though  they  were  in  terror  of  their 
lives,  and  started  off  to  hide  themselves  among  the  clouds. 

And  now  it  was  that  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  first  began  to  hear 
a  sound  as  of  a  mighty  battering-ram  beating  upon  the  farther 
side  of  that  glassy  wall  against  which  Giant  Winter  had  been  re- 
clining. And  the  wall  cracked  visibly  and  shook  to  its  f  ounda- 

'43 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

tions.  But  of  all  this  Giant  Winter  heard  nothing  at  all,  for  he 
went  on  baying  and  bellowing  most  joyfully,  filling  and  empty- 
ing again  and  again  his  bowl  of  oil,  and  continuing  his  search 
for  the  heart  of  the  earth,  that  he  might  freeze  it  to  nothing, 
although,  forsooth,  whenever  he  found  that  fiery  centre  he 
always  lacked  the  courage  so  much  as  to  take  it  in  his  hand  ! 

Meanwhile  the  blows  of  the  battering-ram  resounded 
heavier  and  louder,  and  the  crack  in  the  wall  of  ice  grew 
broader  every  second,  and  all  around  the  giant,  the  rain  of 
icicles  ceased  not  to  fall  in  myriad  fragments.  And  the  bears 
roared  ceaselessly  and  piteously,  and  the  seals  sent  up  their 
plaintive  cries  from  the  dreary  waste  of  water. 

Suddenly  the  wall  gave  way,  and  from  the  bright  sky 
beyond  it  a  man  descended.  Naked  he  was,  most  beautiful 
of  aspect,  holding  in  one  of  his  hands  a  hatchet  of  pure  gold. 
This  was  Lucifer,  the  light-bringer,  Lord  of  the  Spring. 

When  Giant  Winter  saw  him  he  immediately  cast  away  his 
bowl  of  oil  and  entreated  the  new-comer  to  spare  at  least  his 
life.  But  at  the  first  warm  breath  of  Spring,  Giant  Winter 
lost  all  his  strength,  and  Lucifer  was  able  to  bind  him  with  a 
chain  of  diamonds,  and  tie  him  securely  to  the  Pole. 

Then,  standing  still,  the  Lord  of  the  Spring  most  tenderly 
and  amorously  cried  aloud,  and  from  the  heavens  there 
descended  a  woman,  naked  also,  and  most  fair,  most  beauti- 
ful. She  stood  beside  her  lord,  and  spake  to  him  : 

"  You  are  my  conqueror,  strong  man." 

And  thus  he  answered  her  : 

"  If  you  are  hungry,  eat ;  if  you  are  thirsty,  drink  ;  if 
you  are  afraid,  come  near  to  me.  I  am  your  mate." 

"  I  have  no  hunger,  no  thirst,  but  for  thee  alone,"  she  said. 

Then  the  Lord  of  the  Spring  called  out  yet  seven  times 
and  again.  Most  tremendous  was  his  voice,  and  there  was  a 
mighty  din  of  thunder  and  lightning,  and  behind  him  there 
came  into  being  a  kind  of  dais  all  made  of  suns  and  stars. 
And  the  lord  and  his  lady  sat  them  down  on  two  thrones. 
144 


The  Girl-Flowers 

Then  these  twain,  their  countenances  remaining  still  and 
motionless,  and  without  the  least  tremor  to  spoil  the  calmness 
of  their  majesty  and  their  power,  both  together  cried  aloud. 
And  at  that  sound  there  was  a  movement  in  the  earth  like 
that  of  a  countless  multitude  of  worms,  and  not  in  the  earth 
only  but  in  the  hard  stone  and  in  the  ice-floes  also.  And  Nele 
and  Ulenspiegel  heard  a  sound  like  that  which  might  be  made 
by  gigantic  birds  trying  to  crack  with  their  beaks  the  great 
imprisoning  egg-shells  wherein  they  were  concealed.  And  amid 
this  great  commotion  of  the  earth,  heaving  and  subsiding  like 
the  waves  of  the  sea,  there  appeared  forms  like  those  of  eggs. 

And  suddenly,  on  all  sides,  trees  emerged,  their  bare 
branches  all  entangled  together,  and  their  stems  shaking 
and  tottering  together  like  drunken  men,  which  began  to 
separate  themselves  the  one  from  the  other,  leaving  empty 
spaces  of  earth  between.  And  now  from  the  ever  restless 
soil  there  emerged  the  Spirits  of  Earth,  and  from  the  depths 
of  the  forest  the  Spirits  of  the  Woods,  and  from  the  neigh- 
bouring sea,  now  cleared  of  ice,  the  Spirits  of  the  Water. 

And  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  could  discern  the  guardian 
spirits  of  all  these  wonders.  Dwarfs  there  were,  men  of  the 
woods  that  lived  like  trees  and  carried,  instead  of  mouths  and 
stomachs,  little  clusters  of  roots  sprouting  from  below  the  face 
to  the  end  that  they  might  suck  their  nourishment  from  the 
bosom  of  mother  earth.  Lords  of  the  mines  there  were  as 
well,  they  that  know  no  speech,  and  are  destitute  of  heart  or 
entrails,  and  move  about  like  glittering  automatons.  There 
came  also  the  dwarfs  of  flesh  and  bone,  little  fellows  with 
lizards'  tails  and  the  heads  of  toads,  and  a  lantern  on  their 
head  for  head-gear.  These  are  they  that  leap  by  night  upon 
the  shoulder  of  the  drunken  wayfarer  or  the  tired  traveller, 
and  then  jump  down  again,  waving  their  lanterns  the  while 
so  as  to  lead  into  marsh  or  ditch  that  hapless  wight  who  thinks 
the  light  he  sees  is  a  candle  set  to  beacon  his  way  home. 

There  came  too  the  Girl-Flower  spirits,  blossoms  they  of 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

womanly  health  and  strength.  Naked  they  were  and  un- 
ashamed, glorying  in  their  beauty,  and  having  nothing  to 
cover  them  but  their  hair.  The  eyes  of  these  maids  shone 
liquid  like  mother-of-pearl  seen  through  water  ;  the  flesh  of 
their  bodies  was  firm,  white,  and  glittering  in  the  sunshine  ; 
and  from  half-opened  ruby  lips  their  breath  wafted  down  more 
balmy  than  jasmine. 

These  are  the  maids  that  wander  at  eventide  in  the  parks 
or  gardens  of  the  world,  or  belike  in  the  shady  paths  of  some 
woodland  glade.  Amorous  they  are,  searching  ever  for  some 
soul  of  man  to  possess  it  for  themselves.  And  whenever  some 
mortal  lad  and  lass  come  walking  their  way,  they  try  to  kill  the 
girl,  but  failing  in  this  they  breathe  a  breath  of  love  upon  the 
doubting  damsel,  so  that  she  fears  no  longer  to  abandon  herself 
to  the  delights  of  love,  but  gives  herself  to  her  lover.  For  then 
the  Girl-Flower  is  permitted  to  take  her  share  of  the  kisses. 

Besides  all  this,  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  could  see  descending 
now  far  from  heaven  the  Guardian  Spirits  of  the  Stars,  the 
Spirits  of  the  Winds,  of  the  Breezes,  and  of  the  Rain  :  young, 
winged  men  that  fertilize  the  earth.  And  there  appeared 
from  every  point  in  the  heavens  the  soul-birds,  the  dear 
swallows.  At  their  coming  the  light  itself  seemed  to  grow 
brighter,  and  the  girl-flowers,  the  lords  of  the  rocks,  the 
princes  of  the  mines,  the  men  of  the  woods,  the  spirits  of 
water,  fire,  and  earth,  all  cried  out  with  one  voice,  "  O  Light, 
O  sap  of  Spring,  Glory  to  the  Spirit  of  Spring  !  "  And  though 
the  sound  of  all  this  shouting  was  more  powerful  than  the 
noise  of  a  raging  sea,  or  of  a  thunder-storm,  or  of  a  hurricane 
let  loose,  yet  it  seemed  most  solemn  music  to  the  ears  of  Nele 
and  Ulenspiegel,  who  stood,  motionless  and  dumb,  curled  up 
behind  the  gnarled  and  wrinkled  stem  of  a  mighty  oak. 

But  sights  more  terrible  yet  awaited  them,  for  now  the 
spirits  took  their  places  by  thousands  upon  the  backs  of  gigantic 
spiders,  and  toads  with  trunks  like  those  of  elephants,  and 
serpents  all  intertwined,  and  crocodiles  that  stood  upright  on 
146 


The  Spring  Song 

their  tails  and  held  a  whole  bevy  of  spirits  in  their  mouths. 
Snakes,  too.  there  were  that  carried  more  than  thirty  dwarfs 
at  a  time,  both  male  and  female,  sitting  astride  on  their 
writhing  bodies  ;  and  thousands  upon  thousands  of  insects, 
more  huge  than  Goliath  himself,  armed  with  swords,  lances, 
jagged  scythes,  seven-pronged  forks,  and  every  other  kind  of 
murderous  and  horrifying  implement.  Great  was  the  uproar, 
and  stern  the  battle  which  they  fought  amongst  themselves, 
the  strong  eating  up  the  weak  and  getting  fat  thereon,  thus 
demonstrating  how  death  is  ever  born  from  life,  and  life  from 
death. 

And  out  of  all  this  throng  of  spirits,  confused  and  serried, 
there  came  a  sound  as  of  a  deep  rumbling  of  thunder,  or  of  a 
hundred  looms,  of  weavers,  fullers,  and  locksmiths,  all 
working  together  in  full  swing. 

And  suddenly  the  Spirits  of  the  Sap  made  their  appearance 
on  the  scene.  Short  they  were,  and  squat,  and  their  loins 
were  as  large  as  the  great  barrel  of  Heidelberg  itself.  And 
their  thighs  were  fat  like  hogsheads  of  wine,  and  their 
muscles  so  strangely  strong  and  powerful  that  one  would 
have  said  that  their  bodies  were  made  of  naught  but  eggs, 
eggs  big  and  little,  joined  up  to  one  another,  and  covered 
over  with  a  kind  of  ruddy  skin,  strong  and  glistening  like 
their  scanty  beards  and  tawny  hair.  Aid  they  carried  great 
tankards  or  goblets  that  were  filled  with  a  strange  liquor. 

When  the  other  spirits  saw  them  coming,  there  at  once 
arose  among  them  a  great  flutter  of  joy.  The  trees  and  the 
plants  became  the  victims  of  a  strange  restlessness,  and  the 
thirsty  earth  opened  in  a  thousand  fissures  that  it  might 
drink  of  the  liquor. 

And  the  Spirits  of  the  Sap  poured  out  their  wine,  and  at 
the  same  moment  everything  began  to  bud,  and  to  grow  green, 
and  to  come  into  flower ;  and  the  sward  was  alive  with 
buzzing  insects,  and  the  sky  was  filled  with  birds  and  butter- 
flies. The  spirits,  meanwhile,  continued  pouring  out  their 

'47 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

sap,  and  those  below  them  received  the  wine  as  they  best 
were  able  :  the  girl-flowers  opening  their  mouths  and  leaping 
upon  the  tawny  cup-bearers  and  kissing  them  for  more ; 
others  clasping  their  hands  in  prayer ;  yet  others,  in  their 
delight,  allowing  the  precious  liquid  to  rain  upon  them  as 
it  would ;  but  all  alike,  hungry  and  thirsty,  flying,  standing 
still,  running,  or  motionless,  all  greedy  for  the  wine,  and  more 
alive  for  every  drop  they  were  able  to  get.  And  none  was 
there  so  old,  whether  he  were  plain  or  handsome,  but  he  was 
filled  with  fresh  force  and  with  new  and  lusty  youth. 

And  with  great  shouting  and  laughing  they  pursued  each 
other  among  the  trees  like  squirrels,  or  in  the  air  like  birds, 
each  male  seeking  his  female,  and  acting  out  beneath  God's 
open  sky  the  sacred  task  of  nature. 

And  the  Spirits  of  the  Sap  brought  to  the  King  and  Queen 
a  mighty  bowl  brimming  with  their  wine.  And  the  King 
and  the  Queen  drank  thereof,  and  embraced  one  another. 
And  the  King,  holding  the  Queen  fast  in  his  arms,  threw  the 
dregs  of  that  bowl  far  away  upon  the  trees  and  flowers  and  all 
the  other  spirits  that  were  there.  And  loud  did  he  raise  his 
voice,  crying  : 

"  Glory  to  Life  !    Glory  to  the  free  air !    Glory  to  Force !  " 

And  all  with  one  voice  cried  aloud :  "  Glory  to  Nature  ! 
Glory  to  Life!" 

And  Ulenspiegel  took  Nele  in  his  arms.  And  thus 
entwined,  a  dance  began,  an  eddying  dance  like  that  of 
leaves  in  a  whirlwind  ;  and  in  that  vortex  everything  was 
swinging  together,  both  trees  and  plants,  and  insects,  the 
butterflies,  heaven  and  earth  itself,  the  King  and  his  Queen, 
the  girl-flowers  and  the  lords  of  the  mines,  spirits  of  the  water, 
hunchbacked  dwarfs,  lords  of  the  rocks,  men  of  the  woods, 
will-o'-the-wisps,  guardian  spirits  of  the  stars,  and  the  thousand 
thousand  terrible  insects  all  commingled  with  their  lances, 
their  jagged  swords,  their  seven-pronged  forks.  A  giddy 
dance  it  was,  rolling  in  the  space  which  it  filled,  a  dance 
148 


TyFs  Petition 

wherein  the  very  sun  and  moon  took  part,  and  the  stars  and 
planets,  the  clouds,  and  the  winds. 

And  in  that  whirlwind  the  oak  to  which  Nele  and  Ulen- 
spiegel  were  clinging  rolled  over  on  its  side,  and  Ulenspiegel 
said  to  Nele  : 

"  We  are  going  to  die,  little  one.   .  .  ." 

These  words  of  Ulenspiegel  one  of  the  spirits  overheard, 
and  seeing  that  they  were  mortals : 

"  Men  !  "  he  cried.     "  Men,  here  ?  " 

And  he  dragged  them  from  the  tree  to  which  they  clung, 
and  cast  them  into  the  very  midst  of  the  crowd.  But  they 
fell  softly  on  the  backs  of  the  spirits,  who  passed  them 
on  one  to  another,  bidding  them  welcome  in  such  terms  as 
these  : 

"  All  hail  to  man  !  All  hail,  worms  of  the  earth  !  Who 
is  there  now  would  like  to  see  a  young  mortal,  a  boy  or 
a  little  girl  ?  Poor  wights  that  are  come  to  pay  us  a 
visit  !  " 

Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  flew  from  one  to  the  other,  crying 
"  Mercy  !  "  But  the  spirits  payed  no  attention  to  them,  and 
they  were  suffered  to  go  on  flying  about,  legs  in  air,  heads 
downwards,  whirling  about  like  feathers  in  a  winter  wind. 
And  all  the  time  the  spirits  were  saying  : 

"  Hail  to  the  little  men  and  little  women  !  Come  dance 
like  us  !  "  Now  the  girl-flowers  desired  to  separate  Nele 
from  Ulenspiegel,  and  they  would  have  beaten  her  to  death 
had  not  the  King  of  the  Spring  stopped  the  dance  suddenly 
with  a  single  gesture. 

"  Bring  them  to  me,"  he  cried ;  "  bring  before  me  these 
two  lice  !  "  So  they  were  separated  the  one  from  the  other, 
each  girl-flower  doing  all  she  could  to  tear  Ulenspiegel  from 
her  rival,  saying  : 

"  Tyl,  Tyl,  wouldst  not  die  to  have  me  ?  " 

"  I  shall  die  soon  enough,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

And  the  dwarfish  spirits  of  the  woods  that  carried  Nele} 

149 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

said  to  her  also  :  "  Why  are  you  not  a  spirit  like  us  that  we 
might  take  you  ?  " 

And  Nele  answered  :  "  Only  have  patience." 

So  they  came  at  length  before  the  throne  of  the  King, 
and  when  they  saw  his  golden  axe  and  his  crown  of  iron  they 
began  to  tremble  with  fear.  And  he  asked  them  : 

"  Wherefore  have  you  come  to  see  me,  poor  little  things  ?  " 

But  they  answered  him  not  at  all. 

"  I  know  you,"  added  the  King,  "  you  bud  of  a  witch, 
and  you  also,  shoot  of  a  charcoal-burner.  By  power  of  sorcery 
have  you  penetrated  into  this  laboratory  of  Nature,  yet  now 
your  lips  are  closed  like  capon  stuffed  with  bread-crumbs ! " 

Nele  trembled  as  she  gazed  upon  the  awful  aspect  of  that 
spirit.  But  the  manly  courage  of  Ulenspiegel  revived,  and 
he  made  answer  bravely : 

"  The  ashes  of  Claes  beat  upon  my  breast.  For,  Most 
Divine  Highness,  Death  now  goes  gathering  his  harvest 
through  all  the  land  of  Flanders,  mowing  down  the  bravest 
of  her  men  and  the  sweetest  of  her  women  in  the  name  of  His 
Holiness  the  Pope.  And  the  privileges  of  my  country  are 
broken,  her  charters  annulled,  she  is  wasted  by  famine,  her 
weavers  and  cloth-workers  abandon  her  to  look  for  work  in 
other  lands.  And  soon  must  she  die  if  none  comes  to  her 
aid.  Your  Highness,  I  am  naught  indeed  but  a  poor  little 
chit  of  a  man  that  has  come  into  the  world  like  any  other, 
and  I  have  lived  as  I  was  able,  imperfect,  limited  on  every 
side,  ignorant,  neither  virtuous  nor  chaste,  and  most  un- 
worthy of  any  grace,  human  or  divine.  Yet  my  mother 
Soetkin  died  as  the  result  of  torture  and  grief,  and  Claes  was 
burned  in  a  terrible  fire,  and  I  have  sworn  to  avenge  them. 
Once  I  have  been  able  to  do  this.  But  now  I  long'to  see'the 
miserable  soil  of  my  native  land  made^happy,  the  soil  where 
the  bones  of  my  parents  lie  scattered ;  and  I  have  asked  of 
God  the  death  of  our  persecutors,  but  not  yet  has  He  heard  my 
prayer.  This  is  why,  all  weary  of  my  complaining,  I  have 
150 


The  Promise 

evoked  your  presence  by  the  power  of  Katheline's  charm, 
and  this  is  why  we  are  come  to  you,  I  and  my  trembling 
comrade  here,  to  fall  at  your  feet  and  to  beg  you,  Most  Divine 
Highness,  to  save  our  poor  land  !  " 

To  this  the  King  and  his  illustrious  companion  as  with 
one  voice  made  answer  : 

By  battle  and  fire, 
By  death  and  sword, 
Seek  the  Seven. 

In  death  and  blood, 
Ruin  and  tears, 

Find  the  Seven. 

Ugly,  cruel,  wicked,  deformed, 
Very  scourge  of  the  whole  earth, 
Burn  the  Seven. 

Listen  now,  attend  and  see, 
Tell  us,  poor  thing,  are  you  not  glad  ? 
Find  the  Seven. 

And  all  the  spirits  sang  now  together  : 

In  death  and  blood, 
In  ruin  and  tears, 
Find  the  Seven. 

Listen  now,  attend  and  see, 
Tell  us,  poor  thing,  are  you  not  glad  ? 
Find  the  Seven. 

But  Ulenspiegel  only  said  : 

"  Your  Highness,  and  you  my  Lords  Spirits,  I  understand 
nothing  of  your  language.  You  are  mocking  me,  without  a 
doubt." 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

But  the  spirits,  without  listening  to  him  at  all,  went  on 
with  their  singing : 

When  the  North 

Shall  kiss  the  West, 

Then  shall  be  the  end,  of  ruin. 

Find  the  Seven, 

And  the  Cincture. 

And  they  sang  with  such  an  effect  of  unanimity  and  such  a 
terrifying  force  of  sound  that  the  very  earth  trembled  and  the 
heavens  shuddered.  And  the  birds  twittered,  the  owls 
hooted,  the  sparrows  chirruped  with  fear,  the  sea-eagles 
wailed  aloud,  flying  hither  and  thither  in  their  dismay.  And 
all  the  animals  of  the  earth,  lions,  snakes,  bears,  stags,  roe- 
bucks, wolves,  dogs,  and  cats,  roared,  hissed,  belled,  howled, 
barked,  and  miawed  most  terribly. 
And  the  spirits  kept  on  singing : 

Listen  now,  attend  and  see, 
Love  the  Seven, 
And  the  Cincture. 

And  the  cocks  crowed,  and  all  the  spirits  vanished  away, 
excepting  only  one  wicked  lord  of  the  mines,  who  took  Nele 
and  Ulenspiegel  each  in  one  of  his  arms,  and  cast  them  most 
roughly  into  the  void. 

Then  they  awoke  and  found  themselves  lying  by  each 
other,  as  if  they  had  been  asleep,  and  they  shivered  in  the 
chill  morning  air. 

And  Ulenspiegel  beheld  the  sweet  body  of  Nele,  all  golden 
in  the  light  of  the  rising  sun. 


152 


HERE  BEGINS  THE  SECOND  BOOK  OF 
THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  GLORIOUS 
JOYOUS  AND  HEROIC  ADVENTURES 
OF  TYL  ULENSPIEGEL  AND  LAMME 
GOEDZAK  IN  THE  LAND  OF  FLANDERS 
AND  ELSEWHERE 


ONE  morning  in  September  Ulenspiegel  took  his  staff, 
three  florins  that  had  been  given  him  by  Katheline, 
a  piece  of  pig's  liver  and  a  sHce  of  bread,  and  set  out 
to  go  from  Damme  to  Antwerp,  seeking  the  Seven.  Nele 
he  left  asleep. 

On  the  way  he  met  a  dog  who  followed  after  him,  smelling 
around  because  of  the  liver,  and  jumping  up  at  his  legs. 
Ulenspiegel  would  have  driven  off  the  dog,  but  seeing  the 
persistence  of  the  animal,  he  thus  addressed  him  : 

"  My  dear  dog,  you  are  certainly  ill-advised  to  leave  your 
home,  where  you  would  find  awaiting  you  an  excellent  meal 
of  patties  and  other  fine  remains  (to  say  nothing  of  the 
marrow-bones),  to  follow,  as  you  are  now  doing,  a  mere  ad- 
venturer of  the  road,  a  vagabond  that  is  like  to  lack  so  much 
as  a  root  to  give  you  for  nourishment.  Follow  my  advice, 
most  imprudent  little  dog,  and  return  to  your  innkeeper. 
And  for  the  future,  take  good  care  to  avoid  the  rain  and  snow, 
the  hail,  the  drizzling  mists,  the  glassy  frosts  and  other 
such  wretched  fare  as  is  alone  reserved  for  the  back  of  the 
poor  wanderer.  Keep  close  at  home,  rather,  in  a  corner  of 
the  hearth,  and  warm  yourself,  curled  up  in  front  of  the 
cheerful  fire.  But  leave  to  me  the  long  wandering  in  mud 
and  dust,  in  cold  and  heat,  to  be  roasted  to-day,  to-morrow 
frozen,  plenished  on  Friday  but  on  Sunday  famished  for 
want  of  food.  For,  trust  me,  little  dog,  the  wise  thing  is  to 
return  at  once  like  a  sensible  and  experienced  little  dog  to 
the  place  whence  you  came." 

But  it  would  seem  that  the  animal  did  not  hear  a  single 
word  of  what  Ulenspiegel  was  saying,  for  he  continued  to 
wag  his  tail  and  jump  his  highest,  barking  all  the  while,  in 
his  desire  for  food.  Ulenspiegel  imagined  that  all  this  was 
just  a  sign  of  friendliness,  and  gave  no  thought  to  the  liver 
which  he  carried  in  his  scrip. 

154 


By  the  W^ayside 

So  on  and  on  he  walked,  with  the  dog  following  behind. 
And  when  they  had  gone  in  this  way  the  better  part  of  a 
league,  they  saw  a  cart  on  the  roadside  with  a  donkey  har- 
nessed thereto,  holding  his  head  down.  On  a  bank,  at  the 
side  of  the  road,  between  two  clumps  of  thistles,  reclined  a 
man.  He  was  very  fat,  and  in  one  hand  he  held  the  knuckle- 
end  of  a  leg  of  mutton,  and  in  the  other  hand  a  bottle.  He 
gnawed  the  knuckle-bone  and  drank  from  the  bottle,  but 
when  he  was  doing  neither  of  these  things  he  would  fall  to 
weeping  and  groaning. 

Ulenspiegel  stopped  on  his  way,  and  the  dog  stopped  too, 
but  quickly  jumped  up  on  to  the  bank,  smelling  doubtless  a 
good  odour  of  liver  and  mutton.  There  he  sat  on  his  hind 
legs  by  the  fat  man's  side,  and  began  to  paw  at  the  stranger's 
doublet,  as  much  as  to  say, "  Please  give  me  a  share  of  your 
meal !  "  But  the  man  elbowed  him  off,  and  holding  up  the 
knuckle-bone  in  the  air  began  to  moan  aloud  most  piteously. 
The  dog  did  likewise  in  the  eagerness  of  his  desire,  while  the 
donkey  (who  was  weary  of  being  tied  to  the  cart  and  thus 
prevented  from  getting  at  the  thistles)  set  up,  in  his  turn,  a 
most  piercing  bray. 

"  What's  the  matter  now,  Jan  ?  "  the  man  inquired  of  his 
donkey. 

"  Nothing,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  answering  for  him,  "  except 
that  he  would  fain  make  his  breakfast  off  those  thistles  that 
grow  there  on  either  side  of  you,  like  the  thistles  that  are 
carved  on  the  rood-screen  at  Tessenderloo,  below  the  figure  of 
Our  Lord.  Nor  would  this  dog  here,  I'm  thinking,  be  any  the 
less  inclined  to  join  his  jaws  together  on  the  bone  you  have 
got  there.  But  in  the  meanwhile  I  will  give  him  a  piece  of 
this  liver  of  mine." 

The  man  looked  up  at  Ulenspiegel,  who  straightway 
recognized  him  as  none  other  than  his  friend  Lamme  Goedzak 
of  Damme. 

"  Lamme,"  he  cried,  "  you  here  ?  And  what  are  you 

155 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

doing,  eating  and  drinking  and  moaning  ?  Has  some  soldier 
or  other  been  so  impertinent  as  to  box  your  ears,  or  what's 
the  matter  ?  Tell  me." 

"  Alas  ! "  said  Lamme,  "  my  wife ! " 

And  he  would  have  emptied  his  bottle  of  wine  there  and 
then  had  not  Ulenspiegel  laid  a  hand  on  his  arm  and  sug- 
gested that  it  were  fairer  that  the  drink  should  be  given  to 
him  that  had  none.  "  Besides,"  he  added,  "  to  drink  thus 
distractedly  profits  naught  but  one's  kidneys." 

"  Well  said,"  answered  Lamme,  handing  his  friend  the 
bottle,  "  but  will  you  drink,  I  wonder,  to  any  better  pur- 
pose ?  " 

Ulenspiegel  took  the  bottle,  drank  his  fill,  then  handed  it 
back  again. 

"  Call  me  a  Spaniard,"  he  said,  "  if  I've  left  enough  to 
make  a  minnow  drunk  !  " 

Lamme  inspected  the  bottle.  Then,  without  ever  ceas- 
ing to  groan,  he  rummaged  in  his  wallet  and  produced 
another  bottle,  and  another  piece  of  sausage  which  he  cut 
up  in  slices  and  began  to  munch  in  the  most  melancholy 
fashion. 

"  Do  you  never  stop  eating,  Lamme  ?  "  asked  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Often,  my  son,"  he  replied.  "  But  now  I  am  eating 
to  drive  away  sad  thoughts.  Where  are  you,  wife  of  mine  ?  " 
And  as  he  spoke,  Lamme  wiped  away  a  tear.  After  which  he 
cut  himself  ten  slices  of  sausage. 

"  Lamme,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  you  should  not  eat  so 
quickly,  taking  no  thought  at  all  for  the  poor  pilgrim." 

Lamme,  who  was  still  whimpering,  gave  four  of  the 
slices  to  Ulenspiegel,  who  ate  them  up  immediately,  and  was 
much  affected  by  their  good  flavour.  But  Lamme  said, 
eating  and  crying  all  at  the  same  time  : 

"  O  wife,  O  goodly  wife  of  mine  !  How  sweet  she  was, 
how  beautiful  she  was  !  Light  as  a  butterfly,  nimble  as  the 
lightning,  and  with  a  voice  like  a  skylark  !  For  all  that,  she 
156 


Lamme  s  Lament 

was  overfond  of  fine  clothes.  Alas,  but  how  well  she  looked 
in  them  !  And  surely,  the  flowers  also,  are  they  not  fond 
of  rich  apparel  ?  Oh,  if  you  had  seen  her,  my  son — her 
little  hands,  so  nimble  to  caress,  such  hands  as  you  never  could 
have  suffered  to  come  in  contact  with  saucepan  or  frying-pan  ! 
And  her  complexion,  which  was  clear  as  the  day,  would 
surely  have  been  burnt  by  standing  over  the  kitchen  fire. 
And  what  eyes  she  had  !  Only  to  look  at  them  was  to  be 
melted  quite  with  tenderness.  Alas,  I  have  lost  her !  Go 
on  eating,  Tyl ;  it  is  good  Ghent  sausage." 

"  But  why  has  she  left  you  ?  "  asked  Ulenspiegel. 

"  How  should  I  know  ?  "  Lamme  replied.  "  Alas  ! 
gone  for  ever  are  those  days  when  I  used  to  go  to  her  home 
a-courting  !  Then,  verily,  she  would  fly  away  from  me,  half 
in  love  and  half  in  fear  !  And  her  arms  were  bare,  as  like  as 
not  (beautiful  arms  they  were,  so  round  and  white),  but  if 
she  saw  me  looking  at  them  she  would  cover  them  quickly 
with  the  sleeve  of  her  gown. 

"  At  other  times,  again,  she  would  gladly  lend  herself  to 
my  caresses,  and  I  would  kiss  her  closed  eyes,  and  that  lovely 
neck  of  hers,  so  large  and  firm.  She  would  shiver  all  over, 
uttering  little  cries  of  love,  and  then,  leaning  her  head  back- 
wards, she  would  give  me  a  playful  slap  upon  my  nose.  There- 
after she  would  laugh  and  I  would  cry  aloud,  and  we  would 
wrestle  together  right  amorously,  and  there  was  naught  betwixt 
us  but  laughter  and  fun.  But  there,  there.  Is  any  wine  left 
in  the  bottle,  Tyl  ?  " 

Tyl  gave  him  what  remained. 

"  This  ham  does  great  good  to  my  stomach,"  he 
said. 

"  To  mine  also,"  answered  Lamme,  "  but  I  shall  never  see 
my  dear  one  again.  She  has  fled  away  from  Damme.  What 
say  you,  will  you  come  with  me  in  my  cart  to  look  for 
her  ?  " 

"  That  will  I,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

157 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

So  they  got  up  into  the  donkey-cart,  and  the  donkey  set 
up  a  most  melancholy  bray  to  celebrate  their  departure. 

As  for  the  dog,  he  had  already  made  off,  well  filled, 
without  a  word  to  any  one. 

II 

While  the  cart  went  lumbering  along  on  the  top  of  the 
dike,  with  the  pond  on  one  side  and  the  canal  on  the  other, 
Ulenspiegel  sat  brooding  on  the  past  and  cherishing  in  his 
bosom  the  ashes  of  Claes.  He  pondered  deeply  upon  that 
vision  he  had  seen,  and  asked  himself  if  indeed  it  were  true 
or  false,  and  if  those  spirits  of  Nature  had  been  making  mock 
of  him,  or  if  perchance  they  had  been  revealing  to  him  under 
a  figure  those  things  that  must  be  done  if  the  land  of  his 
fathers  were  to  be  restored.  In  vain  did  he  turn  the  matter 
over  and  over  in  his  mind,  for  he  could  not  discover  what  was 
meant  by  those  words,  the  "  Seven "  and  the  "  Cincture." 
He  called  to  mind  the  late  Emperor  Charles  V,  the  present 
King,  the  Governess  of  the  Netherlands,  the  Pope  of  Rome, 
the  Grand  Inquisitor,  and  last  of  all,  the  General  of  the  Jesuits 
— six  great  persecutors  of  his  country  whom  most  willingly 
would  he  have  burned  alive  had  he  been  able.  But  he  was 
forced  to  conclude  that  none  of  these  was  the  personage 
indicated,  for  that  they  were  all  too  obviously  worthy  of 
being  burnt,  and  would  be  in  another  place.  And  he  could 
only  go  on  repeating  to  himself  those  words  of  the  Lord  of 
the  Spring  : 

When  the  North 

Shall  kiss  the  West, 

Then  shall  be  the  end  of  ruin. 
Love  the  Seven, 
And  the  Cincture. 

"  Alas ! "  he  cried,  "  in  death,  in  blood,  in  tears,  find  the 
Seven,  burn  the  Seven,  love  the  Seven  !  What  does  it  all 


A  Voice  Singing 

mean  ?     My  poor  brain  reels,  for  who,  pray,  would  ever  want 
to  burn  that  which  he  loved  ?  " 

The  cart  by  this  time  had  progressed  a  good  way  along 
the  road,  when  all  at  once  a  sound  was  heard  of  some  one 
stepping  along  the  sand,  and  of  a  voice  singing  : 

Oh,  have  ye  seen  him,  ye  that  pass, 
The  lover  I  have  lost,  alas  ! 
Feckless  he  wandereth,  knowing  no  tie — 
Have  ye  seen  him  pass  by  ? 

As  tender  lamb  the  eagle  seizeth, 
So  on  my  poor  heart  he  feedeth. 
Beardless  his  chin,  though  to  manhood  nigh — 
Have  ye  seen  him  pass  by  ? 

If  ye  find  him,  ye  may  tell 
Weary  with  following  faints  his  Nele. 
0  Tyl,  my  beloved,  hear  me,  I  cry  ! 
Have  ye  seen  him  pass  by  ? 

Languisheth  ever  the  faithful  dove, 
Seeking,  seeking  her  fickle  love. 
So,  far  more  so,  languish  I — 
Have  ye  seen  him  pass  by  ? 

Ulenspiegel  gave  Lamme  a  blow  on  his  great  belly,  and 
told  him  to  hold  his  breath. 

"  That,"  said  Lamme,  "  is  a  very  difficult  thing,  I  fear, 
for  a  man  of  my  corpulence." 

But  Ulenspiegel,  paying  no  further  attention  to  his  com- 
panion, hid  himself  behind  the  canvas  hood  of  the  cart,  and 
began  to  sing  in  the  voice  of  a  man  with  a  bad  cold  that  has 
drunk  well : 

In  a  shaky  old  cart  with  age  all  green, 
Tour  feckless  sweetheart  I  have  seen  ; 
And  a  glutton  rides  with  him,  like  pig  in  sty — 
/  have  seen  him  pass  by. 

159 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Tyl,"  said  Lamme,  "  you  have  a  wry  tongue  in  your 
cheek  this  morning  !  " 

But  Tyl  put  his  head  out  of  a  hole  in  the  hood  : 

"  Nele,  don't  you  know  me  ?  "  he  said. 

And  Nele,  for  it  was  none  other  than  she  herself,  was  filled 
with  fear,  crying  and  laughing  all  at  the  same  time,  and  her 
cheeks  were  wet  as  she  answered  him  : 

"  I  see  you,  and  I  know  you,  you  wretch,  you  traitor  !  " 

"  Nele,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  if  you  want  to  give  me  a 
beating,  you  will  find  a  stick  in  the  cart  here.  It  is  heavy 
enough  in  all  conscience,  and  knotted  so  that  it  will  leave  its 
mark  right  enough." 

"  Tyl,"  said  Nele,  "  are  you  seeking  the  Seven  ?  " 

"  Even  so,"  Tyl  told  her. 

Now  Nele  carried  with  her  a  bag,  or  satchel,  that  was  so 
full  it  seemed  likely  to  burst.  This  satchel  she  offered  to  Tyl, 
saying  : 

"  I  thought  it  was  unwholesome,  Tyl,  that  a  man  should 
go  on  a  journey  without  a  good  fat  goose,  and  a  ham,  and 
some  Ghent  sausages.  So  take  them,  and  when  you  eat  of 
them  think  of  me." 

While  Ulenspiegel  stood  gazing  at  Nele,  quite  oblivious 
of  the  satchel  which  she  was  holding  out  to  him,  Lamme 
poked  out  his  head  from  another  hole  in  the  hood,  and  began 
to  address  the  girl  in  his  turn. 

"  O  girl  most  wise,"  he  said,  "  O  girl  most  prudent,  if 
he  refuses  such  a  gift  it  must  be  from  pure  absence  of  mind. 
But  you  had  much  better  give  into  my  own  keeping  that 
goose  of  yours,  that  ham,  and  those  fine  sausages.  I  will 
take  care  of  them,  I  promise  you  !  " 

"  And  who,"  asked  Nele  of  her  lover,  "  who  may  this 
red-face  be  ?  " 

"  A  victim  of  the  married  state,"  Tyl  told  her,  "  that  is 
wasting  away  with  sorrow,  and  would  soon,  in  fact,  shrink 
away  to  nothing,  like  an  overbaked  apple,  were  it  not  that 
160 


The  Heat  of  the  Day 

he  recuperated  his  strength  from  time  to  time  and  all  the 
time  by  taking  nourishment." 

"  Alas,  my  son,"  sighed  Lamme,  "  what  you  say  is  only 
too  true." 

Now  it  was  very  hot,  and  Nele  had  covered  her  head  with 
her  apron  because  of  the  sun.  Ulenspiegel  looked  upon  her, 
and  conceived  a  sudden  desire  to  be  alone  with  her.  He 
turned  to  Lamme,  and  pointed  to  a  woman  that  was  walking 
some  way  off  in  a  field. 

"  Do  you  see  that  woman  ?  "  he  said. 

"  I  see  her,"  said  Lamme. 

"  Do  you  recognize  her  ?  " 

"  Heavens  !  "  cried  Lamme,  "  can  it  be  my  wife  ?  In 
truth  she  is  dressed  like  no  common  country  wench  !  " 

"  Can  you  still  be  doutful,  you  old  mole  ?  " 

"  But  supposing  it  were  not  her  after  all  ?  "  said  Lamme. 

"  You  would  be  none  the  worse  off,"  Ulenspiegel  told  him, 
"  for  over  there  to  the  left,  towards  the  north,  I  know  a 
tavern  that  sells  most  excellent  bruinbier.  We  will  join  you 
there,  and  here  meanwhile  is  some  salt  ham  that  will  provide 
an  excellent  relish  to  your  thirst." 

So  Lamme  got  down  from  the  cart,  and  made  off  as  fast 
as  his  legs  would  carry  him  in  the  direction  of  the  woman  in 
the  field. 

Ulenspiegel  said  to  Nele :  "  Why  will  you  not  come  near 
me  ? " 

Then  he  helped  her  to  climb  up  beside  him  on  to  the  cart, 
and  made  her  sit  close  by  his  side.  He  removed  her  apron 
from  her  head  and  the  cloak  from  her  shoulders,  and  then 
when  he  had  kissed  her  a  hundred  times  at  least,  he  asked  her : 

"  Where  were  you  going  to,  beloved  ?  " 

She  answered  him  nothing,  but  seemed  carried  away  in  a 
sort  of  ecstasy.  Ulenspiegel,  in  like  rapture,  said  to  her  : 

"  Anyway  you  are  here  now  !  And  truly  the  wild  hedge- 
row is  dun  beside  the  sweet  pink  colouring  of  your  skin,  and 

L  161 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

though  you  are  no  queen,  behold  I  will  make  a  crown  of 
kisses  all  for  you  !  O  sweet  arms  of  my  love,  so  tender,  so 
rosy,  and  made  for  nothing  but  to  hold  me  in  their  embrace  ! 
Ah,  little  girl,  little  love,  how  dare  I  touch  you  ?  These 
rough  hands  of  mine,  will  they  not  tarnish  the  purity  of  your 
white  shoulder  ?  Yea  verily,  for  the  lightsome  butterfly 
may  flit  to  rest  upon  the  crimson  carnation,  but  I,  clumsy 
bumpkin  that  I  am,  how  can  I  rest  myself  without  tarnishing 
the  living  whiteness  that  is  you  ?  God  is  in  heaven,  the  king 
is  on  his  throne,  the  sun  rides  triumphing  in  the  sky,  but  am 
I  a  god,  or  a  king,  or  the  sun  himself  that  I  may  come  so  close 
to  you  ?  O  tresses  softer  than  silk  !  O  Nele,  I  fear  to 
touch  your  hair,  so  clumsy  am  I,  lest  I  tear  it,  lest  I  shred  it 
all  to  pieces.  But  have  no  fear,  my  love.  Your  foot,  your 
sweet  foot !  What  makes  it  so  white  ?  Do  you  bathe  it  in 
milk  ?  " 

Nele  would  have  risen  from  his  side,  but, 

"  What  are  you  afraid  of  ?  "  he  asked  her.  "  It  is  not 
the  sun  alone  that  shines  upon  us  now  and  paints  you  all  gold. 
Do  not  cast  down  your  eyes,  but  look  straight  into  mine,  and 
behold  the  pure  fire  that  flames  there.  And  listen,  my  love, 
hearken  to  me,  dearest.  Now  is  midday,  the  silent  hour. 
The  labourer  is  at  home,  eating  his  dinner  of  soup.  Shall 
we  not  also  feed  upon  our  love  ?  Oh  why,  oh  why  have  I  not 
yet  a  thousand  years  wherein  to  tell  at  your  knees  my  rosary 
of  Indian  pearls  !  " 

"  Golden  Tongue  !  "  she  said. 

But  my  Lord  the  Sun  blazed  down  upon  the  white  hood 
of  the  cart,  and  a  lark  sang  high  over  the  clover,  and  Nele 
leant  her  head  upon  the  shoulder  of  Ulenspiegel. 

Ill 

After  a  while  Lamme  came  back  to  the  cart,  great  drops 
of  sweat  pouring  off  him,  and  he,  purring  and  blowing  like  a 
dolphin. 
162 


A  False  Start 

"  Alas  !  "  he  cried,  "  I  was  born  under  an  evil  star.  For 
no  sooner  had  I  run  and  caught  up  with  this  woman  than  I 
found  that  she  was  not  a  woman  at  all,  but  an  old  hag  rather, 
as  indeed  I  could  see  at  once  by  her  face — forty-five  years  old 
at  the  very  least !  And  to  judge  by  her  head-gear  she  had 
never  been  married.  For  all  that,  she  inquired  of  me  in  a 
harsh  voice  what  I  was  doing  there,  carrying  my  great  fat 
belly  about  in  the  clover  !  I  told  her  as  politely  as  I  could 
that  I  was  looking  for  my  wife  who  had  lately  left  me,  and 
that  I  had  run  after  her  by  mistake. 

"  At  that  the  old  girl  told  me  that  the  only  thing  for  me  to 
do  was  to  return  at  once  whence  I  came,  and  that  if  my  wife 
had  left  me  she  had  indeed  done  well,  seeing  that  all  men  are 
thieves  and  rascals,  heretics,  unfaithful,  poisoners,  and  de- 
ceivers of  women  ;  and  she  threatened  to  set  her  dog  on  me 
if  I  did  not  make  off  at  once.  Which  in  truth  I  did  incon- 
tinently, for  that  I  perceived  a  great  mastiff  lying  there 
growling  at  her  feet.  When,  therefore,  I  had  reached  the 
boundary  of  the  field,  I  sat  me  down  to  rest  myself  and  to 
eat  a  bit  of  ham.  And  I  was  between  two  clover-fields. 
Suddenly  I  heard  a  great  noise  just  behind  me,  and  turning 
round  I  saw  the  old  girl's  mastiff,  no  longer  now  in  menacing 
mood  but  wagging  his  tail  as  sweetly  as  possible  and  as  much 
as  to  say  that  he  was  hungry  and  would  like  a  piece  of  my  ham. 
I  was  for  throwing  him  some  small  bits  when  all  at  once 
his  mistress  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  shouted  out  fiercely  : 

"  '  Seize  the  man  !     Seize  him  with  your  fangs,  my  son  ! ' 

"  I  started  to  run  away,  the  great  mastiff  hanging  on  to  me 
by  my  breeks.  And  now  he  had  bitten  off  a  piece  of  them, 
together  with  a  gobbet  of  my  own  flesh.  The  pain  made  me 
angry  and  I  turned  and  gave  him  such  a  smart  stroke  with 
my  stick  upon  his  front  paws  that  I  must  have  broken  one 
of  them  at  least.  At  that  he  fell  down,  crying  out  in  his  dog 
language  :  '  Mercy  !  Mercy  !  '  the  which  I  granted  him. 
Meanwhile  his  mistress,  finding  no  stones  to  throw  at  me,  had 

163 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

begun  to  threaten  me  with  pieces  of  earth  and  bits  of  grass. 
So  I  made  good  my  retreat.  And  is  it  not  a  sorry  thing,  and 
a  thing  most  unjust  and  most  cruel,  that  because  a  girl  has 
not  been  good-looking  enough  to  find  some  one  to  marry  her, 
she  must  needs  go  and  take  her  revenge  on  a  poor  innocent 
like  me  ?  " 

IV 

Some  while  after  these  happenings,  when  Nele  had 
returned  to  her  home  with  Katheline,  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel 
came  to  Bruges.  They  were  at  the  place  called  Minne- 
Water,  the  Lake  of  Love — though  the  learned  folk  would  have 
it  to  be  derived  from  Minre-Water,  that  is,  the  Water  belong- 
ing to  the  order  of  monks  who  are  called  Minims.  Be  this 
as  it  may,  here  on  the  bank  of  the  lake,  Lamme  and  Ulen- 
spiegel sat  themselves  down,  watching  those  that  passed  in 
front  of  them  under  the  trees.  The  green  branches  hung  over 
the  pathway  like  a  vault  of  foliage,  and  below  there  sauntered 
both  men  and  women,  youths  and  maids,  clasping  each  other's 
hands,  with  flowers  on  their  heads,  walking  so  close  together 
and  gazing  so  tenderly  into  each  other's  eyes  that  they  seemed 
to  see  nothing  else  in  all  the  world  save  themselves  alone. 

As  he  watched  them,  the  thoughts  of  Ulenspiegel  were 
far  away  with  Nele,  and  his  thoughts  were  sad  thoughts. 
Yet  his  words  were  of  another  colour,  bidding  Lamme  come 
off  with  him  to  the  tavern  for  a  drink.  But  Lamme  paid  no 
attention  to  what  Tyl  was  saying,  for  he  himself  was  absorbed 
no  less  by  the  sight  of  those  loving  pairs. 

"  In  the  old  days,"  he  said,  "  we  too,  my  wife  and  I,  were 
wont  to  go  a-courting,  while  others,  just  as  we  are  now,  would 
watch  us,  alone  and  companionless  by  the  lake-side." 

"  Come  and  have  a  drink ! "  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  Belike 
we  will  find  the  Seven  at  the  bottom  of  a  pint  of  beer." 

"  That's  but  a  drunkard's  notion,"   answered  Lamme, 
"  for  you  know  quite  well  that  the  Seven  are  giants,  and  taller 
than  the  roof  of  the  Church  of  St.  Sauver  itself  !  " 
164 


At  the  Sign  of  the  Blue  Lantern 

The  thoughts  of  Ulenspiegel  were  still  with  Nele,  but  none 
the  less  did  he  hope  to  find,  perchance,  good  quarters  in  some 
inn,  a  good  supper,  and  a  comely  hostess  into  the  bargain. 
Again,  therefore,  did  he  urge  his  companion  to  come  along 
with  him  and  drink.  But  Lamme  would  not  listen  to  him, 
gazing  sadly  at  the  tower  of  Notre  Dame,  and  addressing 
himself  in  prayer  to  Our  Lady  somewhat  in  this  wise  : 

"  O  Blessed  Lady,  patroness  of  all  lawful  unions,  suffer 
me,  I  pray,  to  see  yet  once  again  the  white  neck,  the  soft  and 
tender  neck,  of  my  love  !  " 

"  Come  and  drink  !  "  cried  Ulenspiegel.  "  Belike  you  will 
find  her  displaying  these  charms  of  hers  to  the  drinkers  in  the 
tavern." 

"  How  dare  you  harbour  such  a  thought !  "  cried  Lamme. 

"  Come  and  drink  !  "  repeated  Ulenspiegel.  "  Your  wife 
has  turned  innkeeper  without  a  doubt." 

And  thus  conversing,  they  repaired  to  the  Marcbe  du 
Samedi,  and  entered  into  the  Elauwe  Lanteern — at  the  sign 
of  the  Blue  Lantern.  And  there  they  found  a  right  jolly- 
looking  innkeeper. 

The  donkey  meanwhile  was  unharnessed  from  the  cart, 
and  was  put  up  in  the  stables  and  provided  with  a  good  feed 
of  oats.  Our  travellers  themselves  ordered  supper,  and  when 
they  had  eaten  their  fill,  they  went  to  bed  and  slept  soundly 
till  morning,  only  to  wake  up  and  eat  again.  And  Lamme, 
who  was  wellnigh  bursting  with  all  that  he  had  eaten,  said 
that  he  could  hear  in  his  stomach  a  sound  like  the  music  of 
the  spheres. 

Now  when  the  time  came  to  pay  the  bill,  mine  host  came 
to  Lamme  and  told  him  that  the  total  amounted  to  six 
patards. 

"  He  has  the  money,"  said  Lamme,  pointing  to  Ulenspiegel. 

"No  such  thing,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  What  about  that  half-florin  ?  "  said  Lamme. 

"  I  haven't  got  it,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

165 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Here's  a  nice  way  of  going  on  !  "  cried  the  innkeeper. 
"  I  shall  strip  your  doublet  and  shirt  from  the  two  of  you  !  " 

Suddenly  Lamme  took  courage  of  all  he  had  been 
drinking : 

"  And  if  I  choose  to  eat  and  to  drink,"  he  cried,  "  yea,  to 
eat  and  to  drink  the  worth  of  twenty-seven  florins,  and  more, 
do  you  think  I  shall  not  do  so  ?  Do  you  think  that  this 
belly  of  mine  is  not  the  equal  of  a  penny  ?  God's  life  !  Up 
to  now  I  have  fed  on  ortolans.  But  you,  never  have  you 
carried  anything  of  that  sort  under  your  belt  of  greasy  hide. 
For  you,  you  bad  man,  must  needs  carry  your  suet  in  the 
collar  of  your  doublet,  far  otherwise  than  I  that  bear  three 
inches  at  least  of  delicate  fat  on  this  good  belly  of  mine." 

At  this  the  innkeeper  fell  into  a  passion  of  rage,  and 
though  he  was  a  stammerer  he  began  to  talk  at  a  great 
rate,  and  the  greater  his  haste  the  more  he  stammered  and 
spluttered  like  a  dog  that  has  just  come  out  of  the  water. 
Ulenspiegel  began  to  throw  pellets  of  bread  at  him,  and 
Lamme,  growing  more  and  more  excited,  continued  his 
harangue  in  the  following  strain : 

"  And  now,  what  do  you  say  r  For  here  have  I  enough,  and 
more  than  enough,  to  pay  you  for  those  three  lean  chickens  for- 
sooth, and  those  four  mangy  poulets,  to  say  nothing  of  that  big 
simpleton  of  a  peacock  that  parades  his  paltry  tail  in  the  stable 
yard.  And  if  your  very  skin  was  not  more  dry  than  that  of  an 
ancient  cock,  if  your  bones  even  now  were  not  falling  to  very 
dust  within  your  breast,  still  should  I  have  the  wherewithal  to 
eat  you  up,  you  and  your  slobbering  servant  there — your  one- 
eyed  serving-maid  and  your  cook,  whose  arms  are  not  long 
enough  to  scratch  himself  though  he  had  the  itch !  And  do 
you  see,"  he  continued,  "  do  you  see  this  fine  bird  of  yours 
that  for  the  sake  of  half  a  florin  would  have  deprived  us  of 
our  doublet  and  our  shirt  ?  Say,  what  is  your  own  wardrobe 
worth,  preposterous  chatterbox  that  you  are  ;  and  I  will 
give  you  three  Hards  in  exchange  for  the  lot !  " 
166 


Eloquence  of  ILamme  Goedzak 

But  the  innkeeper,  who  by  this  time  was  beside  himself 
with  rage,  stammered  and  spluttered  more  and  more,  while 
Ulenspiegel  went  on  throwing  pellets  of  bread  in  his  face, 
till  Lamme  at  last  cried  out  again  in  a  voice  brave  as  a  lion's  : 
"  What's  the  value,  think  you,  skinny-face,  of  a  fine 
donkey  with  a  splendid  nose,  long  ears,  large  chest,  and  legs 
as  strong  as  iron  ?  Twenty-eight  florins  at  the  least,  is  it  not 
so,  most  seedy  of  innkeepers  ?  And  how  many  old  nails  have 
you,  pray,  locked  fast  away  in  your  coffer,  with  which  to 
pay  the  price  of  so  fine  an  animal  ?  " 

More  than  ever  did  the  innkeeper  puff  and  blow,  yet  dared 
not  budge  an  inch  from  where  he  stood.  And  Lamme  said 
again : 

"  And  what  is  the  value,  think  you,  of  a  fine  cart  of  ash- 
wood,  finely  painted  in  crimson,  and  furnished  with  a  hood  of 
Courtrai  cloth  for  protection  from  sun  and  rain  ?  Twenty- 
four  florins  at  the  least,  is  it  not  so  ?  And  how  much  is 
twenty-four  florins  added  to  twenty-eight  florins  ?  Answer 
that,  you  miser  that  cannot  even  count !  And  now,  since  it 
is  market  day,  and  since  your  paltry  tavern  happens  to  be 
full  of  peasants  that  are  come  to  market,  behold  I  will  put 
up  my  cart  to  auction  and  my  donkey  too,  and  I  will  sell 
them  here,  now,  and  at  once  !  " 

Which,  in  very  truth,  he  did.  For  all  they  that  were 
there  knew  very  well  who  Lamme  was.  And  he  actually 
realized  from  the  sale  of  his  donkey  and  cart  as  much  as 
forty-four  florins  and  ten  patards.  And  he  jingled  the  money 
under  the  innkeeper's  nose,  and  said  to  him  : 

"  Scent  you  not  the  savour  of  festivities  to  be  ?  " 
"  Yea,"  answered  mine  host.     But  under  his  breath  he 
swore  that  if  ever  Lamme  came  to  him  and  offered  to  sell 
him  his  very  skin,  he  would  buy  it  for  a  Hard  and  make  of  it 
an  amulet  for  a  charm  against  extravagance. 

Meanwhile  there  was  a  sweet  and  gentle-looking  young 
woman  that  stood  in  the  yard  without,  and  she  came  up 

167 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

oftentimes  to  the  window  and  looked  at  Lamme,  but  with- 
drew her  pretty  face  each  time  that  he  might  have  seen  her. 
And  the  same  evening,  when  Lamme  was  going  up  to  bed, 
stumbling  about  on  the  staircase  without  any  light  (for  he  had 
been  drinking  not  wisely),  he  was  aware  of  a  woman  that  put 
her  arms  round  him,  and  greedily  kissed  his  cheek  and  mouth 
and  his  nose  even,  and  moistened  his  face  with  amorous  tears, 
and  then  left  him. 

But  Lamme,  who  was  thoroughly  drowsed  by  all  that  he 
had  been  drinking,  lay  down  straightway  and  went  to  sleep  ; 
and  on  the  morrow  he  departed  to  Ghent  together  with 
Ulenspiegel.  There  he  went  seeking  his  wife  in  all  the  cabarets 
and  taverns  of  the  town.  But  at  nightfall  he  rejoined  Ulen- 
spiegel at  the  sign  of  the  Singing  Swan. 


Now  King  Philip  was  obstinate  as  a  mule,  and  he  thought 
that  his  own  will  ought  to  dominate  the  entire  world  as  if  it 
had  been  the  will  of  God  himself.  And  his  will  was  this  : 
that  our  country,  little  accustomed  as  it  was  to  obedience, 
should  now  curb  itself  under  an  ancient  yoke  without  obtain- 
ing any  reforms  at  all.  And  the  be-all  and  the  end-all  of 
his  desire  was  the  aggrandizement  of  that  Holy  Mother  of 
his,  the  Catholic  Church,  Apostolic  and  Roman,  One, 
Entire,  Universal,  changeless  and  unalterable,  and  this  was 
his  will  for  no  other  reason  at  all  than  just  the  fact  that  it  was 
his  will.  And  in  this  he  was  like  some  woman  without  sense, 
that  tosses  about  all  night  upon  her  bed  as  though  it  were  a 
bed  of  thorns,  endlessly  tortured  by  her  own  imaginings. 

"  Yes,"  he  would  say,  "  O  most  Holy  Saint  Philip,  and 
you,  O  my  Lord  God,  if  only  I  could  turn  the  Low  Countries 
into  a  common  grave,  and  cast  therein  all  the  inhabitants  of 
that  country,  then  surely  they  would  return  to  Thee,  my  most 
blessed  Patron,  and  to  Thee,  my  Lady  Virgin  Mary,  and  to 
ye,  my  good  masters,  the  saints  and  saintesses  of  Paradise  !  " 
168 


Odd  Behaviour  of  Ulenspiegel 

And  he  really  tried  to  do  as  he  said  ;  so  that  he  was 
more  Roman  than  the  Pope  and  more  Catholic  than  the 
Councils ! 

And  the  people  of  Flanders  and  of  the  Low  Countries 
began  to  grow  anxious  again,  and  to  think  that  they  could 
discern  in  the  distance  this  crowned  spider,  working  in  the 
sombre  house  of  the  Escurial,  reaching  out  his  long  claws 
with  their  nippers  open,  and  spreading  wide  the  web  in  which 
he  might  enwrap  them  all  and  suck  them  white  of  their  blood. 
Ulenspiegel,  for  his  part,  went  spreading  the  alarm 
wherever  he  could,  and  stirring  up  the  people  against  the 
ravishers  of  his  country  and  the  murderers  of  his  parents. 

One  day,  therefore,  when  he  was  in  the  Marcht  du  Vendredi, 
near  by  the  Dulle-Griet — the  Great  Canon — Ulenspiegel  lay  flat 
down  on  his  stomach  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  A  charcoal- 
burner  who  happened  to  be  passing  came  up  and  asked  him 
what  he  was  doing  there. 

"  I  am  giving  my  nose  a  wetting,"  Ulenspiegel  told  him, 
"  so  that  I  may  discover  where  this  great  wind  is  coming 
from." 

Next  a  carpenter  came  along. 

"  Do  you  take  the  pavement  for  a  mattress  ?  "  he  asked. 
"  Before  long,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  there  are  some  that 
will  be  taking  it  for  a  counterpane." 

A  monk  came  up  and  stopped  by  his  side. 
"  What  does  this  booby  here  ?  " 

"  He  entreats  your  blessing,  lying  flat  at  your  feet,"  said 
Ulenspiegel.  The  monk  gave  his  blessing  and  went  away. 
But  Ulenspiegel  continued  where  he  was  with  his  head 
pressed  to  the  earth,  till  at  last  a  peasant  came  along  and 
asked  him  what  he  was  listening  for.  "  Do  you  hear  some 
noise  or  other  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Ulenspiegel.  "  I  hear  the  wood  beginning 
to  grow,  that  wood  whence  many  a  faggot  shall  be  made  for 
the  burning  of  poor  heretics." 

169 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 
Do  you  hear  aught  else  ?  "  inquired  a  sergeant  of  the 


commune. 
tt 


Yes,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  I  hear  the  men-at-arms  that 
are  on  their  way  from  Spain.  If  you  have  anything  you  wish 
to  save,  bury  it  now,  for  in  a  little  while  our  cities  will  not  be 
safe  from  thieves  any  more." 

"  The  man  is  mad,"  said  the  sergeant. 

And  the  people  of  the  town  thought  so  too. 


VI 

Now  in  those  days,  day  in,  day  out,  King  Philip  of  Spain 
was  used  to  spend  his  time  fingering  old  papers  and  scribbling 
and  writing  on  leaves  of  parchment.  To  these  alone  did  he 
confide  the  secrets  of  his  cruel  heart,  for  he  loved  no  man 
living,  and  knew  that  none  loved  him.  For  he  desired  to 
direct  his  great  empire  by  himself  alone,  and  like  a  weary 
Atlas  he  was  bowed  under  that  weight.  Melancholy  and 
phlegmatic  by  nature,  this  excess  of  work  was  consuming  a 
body  that  was  already  none  too  strong.  Hating  as  he  did 
every  happy  face,  he  had  begun  to  hate  our  land  of  Flanders, 
for  its  gaiety  if  for  nothing  else.  And  he  hated  our  merchants 
just  because  they  were  wealthy  and  luxurious,  and  he  hated 
our  nobility  just  because  they  were  free  in  speech  and  frank  in 
manner,  and  because  of  the  high  ardour  of  their  bravery  and 
their  jovial  bearing.  Neither  had  he  forgotten  the  tale  that 
was  told  how,  as  early  as  the  year  1380,  the  Cardinal  de  Cousa 
had  pointed  out  the  abuses  of  the  Church,  and  had  preached 
the  need  of  reformation,  since  which  time  the  revolt  against 
the  Pope  and  the  power  of  Rome  had  begun  to  be  manifest  in 
our  land,  and  was  now,  under  different  forms  and  sects,  rife 
in  every  head  like  water  boiling  in  a  kettle  with  the  lid  on. 

And  although,  under  the  Emperor  Charles,  the  Papal 
Inquisition  had  already  been  the  death,  by  burning,  bury- 
ing alive,  or  hanging,  of  so  many  as  a  hundred  thousand 
170 


"  The  Compromise  " 

Christians,  and  although  the  property  of  these  unfortunates 
had  gone  into  the  coffers  of  the  Emperor  and  the  King  like 
rain  falling  into  a  sink,  Philip  decided  that  this  was  not 
enough,  and  now  imposed  on  the  country  a  new  College  of 
Bishops,  and  aspired  to  introduce  into  Flanders  all  the  horrors 
of  the  Spanish  Inquisition. 

And  the  Town  Heralds  sounded  their  trumpets  and 
their  timbrels,  and  declaimed  a  proclamation  to  the  effect 
that  all  heretics,  whether  men,  women,  or  girls,  should  be  done 
to  death.  Those  who  would  recant  their  heresies  were  to  be 
hanged,  but  those  who  were  obstinate  were  to  be  burnt  at  the 
stake.  The  women  and  girls  were  to  be  buried  alive,  and  the 
executioner  was  to  dance  upon  their  dead  bodies. 

And  the  flame  of  resistance  began  to  burn  and  run  through 
all  the  country. 

VII 

It  was  the  fifth  of  April,  just  before  Easter,  and  the  Counts 
Louis  of  Nassau,  de  Culembourg,  and  de  Brederode  (he  that 
was  surnamed  Hercule  the  Toper)  were  entering  the  courtyard 
of  the  palace  of  Brussels,  together  with  three  hundred  gentle- 
men. They  were  come  to  seek  an  audience  of  the  Governess 
of  the  Netherlands,  Madame  the  Duchess  of  Parma,  and  were 
mounting  the  great  stairway  of  the  palace  four  by  four. 

Coming  at  length  into  the  hall  where  my  Lady  was  seated 
they  presented  their  petition,  which  entreated  her  to  use  her 
influence  with  King  Philip  for  the  abolition  of  all  those  decrees 
which  concerned  religion  and  the  introduction  into  Flanders 
of  the  Spanish  Inquisition.  This  petition,  which  afterwards 
became  known  as  "  The  Compromise,"  also  declared  that  in 
our  already  disaffected  country  such  a  policy  as  the  intro- 
duction of  the  Inquisition  could  only  result  in  troubles  of  all 
kinds,  ruin  to  the  country,  and  universal  misery. 

Berlaymont,  who  later  on  was  to  prove  so  treacherous  and 
baneful  to  the  land  of  his  birth,  stood  close  by  Her  Highness, 

171 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

and  mocked  at  the  poverty  of  certain  of  the  confederate 
nobles  who  had  come  to  visit  her. 

"  Have  no  fear,  my  Lady,"  he  told  her,  "  they  are  nothing 
but  beggars  !  " 

And  by  these  words  he  implied  either  that  the  said  nobles 
had  been  ruined  in  the  service  of  the  King,  or  else  that  they 
were  eager  to  emulate  the  luxury  of  the  great  Lords  of  Spain. 
And  thus  it  was  that  later  on  these  same  nobles  endeavoured 
to  bring  ridicule  upon  the  words  of  Berlaymont  by  saying 
that  "  they  held  it  indeed  an  honour  to  be  esteemed  and 
spoken  of  as  beggars — beggars  for  the  good  service  of  the 
King  and  the  advantage  of  these  lands."  And  from  that 
time  they  began  to  wear  round  their  necks  a  golden  medal 
carved  with  an  effigy  of  the  King.  And  on  the  obverse 
side  of  the  medal  were  two  hands  clasped  upon  a  beggar's 
wallet,  with  these  words  writ  thereunder :  "  To  the  King, 
faithful  even  unto  beggary."  On  their  hats  and  bonnets 
they  carried  also  little  golden  ornaments  made  in  the  form  of 
beggars'  hats  and  platters. 

And  all  this  time  Lamme  went  carrying  his  portly  form 
about  the  town,  seeking  the  wife  that  he  never  found. 

VIII 

One  morning  Ulenspiegel  said  to  Lamme : 

"  Come  with  me.  Let  us  go  and  present  our  compliments 
to  a  certain  high  noble  I  wot  of,  a  most  renowned  and 
powerful  personage  !  " 

"  Will  he  tell  us  where  my  wife  is  ?  "  asked  Lamme. 

"  Certainly,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  if  he  knows." 

And  away  they  went  to  Brederode,  surnamed  Hercule  the 
Toper.  And  they  found  him  in  the  courtyard  of  his  house. 

"  What  do  you  want  with  me  ?  "  he  demanded  of  Ulen- 
spiegel. 

"  To  speak  with  you,  my  Lord." 

"  Speak  then,"  said  Brederode. 
172 


The  League  of  the  Beggarmen 

"  You  are  a  handsome,  brave,  and  powerful  nobleman," 
said  Ulenspiegel.  "  Time  was  when  you  were  able  to  flatten 
out  a  Frenchman  in  full  armour  as  though  he  were  no  better 
than  a  mussel  in  its  shell.  But  if  you  are  brave  and  powerful 
you  are  also  well-informed.  Can  you  tell  us,  therefore,  why 
you  wear  this  medal  inscribed  with  these  words  :  *  To  the 
King,  faithful  even  unto  beggary '  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  Lamme  put  in,  "  pray  tell  us  why,  my 
Lord  ! " 

But  Brederode  made  no  answer,  and  only  looked  very 
hard  at  Ulenspiegel,  who  thereupon  continued  his  discourse  in 
this  wise. 

"  And  why,  pray,  do  you,  you  other  noble  Lords,  seek  to  be 
faithful  to  the  King  even  unto  beggary  ?  Is  it  for  the  great 
good  that  he  wishes  you  ?  Or  for  the  fair  friendship  that  he 
bears  you  ?  How  is  it  that  instead  of  being  faithful  to  the 
King  even  unto  beggary  you  do  not  so  act  rather  that  the 
brute  himself  may  be  despoiled  of  his  country,  and  thus  be 
made  faithful  for  ever  to  beggary  himself  ?  " 

And  Lamme  nodded  his  head  to  show  his  agreement  with 
what  his  friend  had  said  : 

Brederode  looked  at  Ulenspiegel  with  his  keen  glance,  and 
smiled  with  pleasure  at  his  handsome  appearance. 

"  Either  you  are  a  spy  of  King  Philip,"  he  said,  "  or  else  a 
good  man  of  Flanders ;  and  for  whichever  you  are  I  will  pay 
you  your  due." 

So  saying  he  led  Ulenspiegel  to  his  pantry,  and  Lamme 
followed  close  behind.  When  they  were  come  there,  Brede- 
rode pulled  Ulenspiegel's  ear  till  the  blood  flowed. 

"  This  for  the  spy,"  he  said. 

But  Ulenspiegel  remained  quite  quiet  and  said  nothing. 

Then  Brederode,  pointing  to  a  pipkin  of  cinnamon  wine, 
bade  his  butler  bring  it  to  him. 

"  Drink,"  said  Brederode,  "  this  for  the  good  Fleming." 

"  Ah  !  "  cried  Ulenspiegel,  "  good  Fleming  means  sweet 

*73 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

tongue  for  cinnamon  !  Verily  the  saints  themselves  do  not 
know  the  likes  of  it ! " 

When  he  had  drunk  half  the  tankard  he  passed  the 
remainder  to  Lamme. 

"  And  who,"  said  Brederode,  "  who  is  this  papzak,  this 
belly-carrier  that  needs  must  be  recompensed  for  having 
done  nothing  ?  " 

"  This,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  is  my  friend  Lamme  Goedzak, 
and  whenever  he  drinks  mulled  wine  he  thinks  that  he  is 
going  to  find  the  wife  he  has  lost." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Lamme,  sucking  up  the  wine  from  the 
goblet  most  devotedly. 

"  And  where  may  you  be  going  to  now  ?  "  asked  Brederode. 

"  In  quest  of  the  Seven,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  the  Seven 
that  shall  save  the  land  of  Flanders." 

"  And  who  may  they  be  ?  "  asked  Brederode. 

"  When  I  have  found  them,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  then  I 
will  tell  you." 

But  Lamme,  who  was  grown  sprightly  with  what  he  had 
been  drinking,  suggested  to  Ulenspiegel  that  they  should  go 
there  and  then  to  the  moon,  to  see  if  his  wife  perchance  was 
there. 

"  All  right,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  if  you'll  provide  a 
ladder!" 

And  it  was  May,  the  green  month  of  May,  and  Ulenspiegel 
said  to  Lamme  : 

"  O  Lamme,  behold  the  lovely  month  of  May !  Ah,  the 
bright  blue  of  the  sky  !  The  joy  of  the  swallows  !  And 
behold,  the  branches  of  the  trees,  how  they  are  all  red  with 
sap,  and  the  very  earth  is  in  love  !  Verily  this  is  now  the 
time  both  to  hang  and  to  burn  for  the  Faith.  For  they  are 
ready,  the  good  little  Inquisitors.  Ah,  what  noble  faces 
they  have  !  And  theirs  is  the  power  to  correct  us  and  to 
punish  us  and  to  degrade,  and  hand  us  over  to  the  secular 
judges,  or  to  imprison  us — O  the  fine  month  of  May ! — and  to 

174 


AH  I    THE  LOVELY 
MONTH  OF  MAY  I  " 


The  House  on  the  Quai  aux  Briques 

take  us  captive,  and  to  proceed  to  trial  against  us  without 
serving  any  writ,  and  to  burn,  hang,  behead  us,  and  to  dig 
the  grave  of  premature  death  for  our  women  and  our  girls. 
In  the  trees  the  chaffinch  is  singing  !  But  upon  him  that  is 
rich  and  wealthy  the  good  Inquisitors  have  cast  a  favourable 
eye  !  And  it  is  the  King  himself  that  shall  enter  into  their 
inheritance.  Then  go,  my  girls,  dance  in  the  meadows  to  the 
sound  of  bagpipes  and  shawms.  O  the  fine  month  of  May  !  " 

And  the  ashes  of  Claes  beat  upon  the  breast  of  Ulenspiegel. 

"  On,  on ! "  said  he  to  Lamme.  "  Happy  are  they  that  shall 
keep  heart  high  and  sword  drawn  in  the  dark  days  that  are 
coming  !  " 

IX 

Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel,  each  mounted  upon  a  donkey 
given  him  by  Simon  Simonsen,  one  of  the  followers  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange,  went  riding  far  and  wide,  warning  the 
people  concerning  the  bloodthirsty  designs  of  King  Philip, 
and  always  on  the  look-out  for  any  news  from  Spain.  They 
frequented  all  the  markets  and  fairs  of  the  countryside, 
selling  vegetables  and  habited  like  peasants. 

One  day  as  they  were  returning  from  the  market  at 
Brussels,*  they  passed  a  stone  house  on  the  Quai  aux  Briques, 
and  there,  in  a  room  on  the  ground  floor,  they  beheld  a 
beautiful  dame  dressed  all  in  satin.  She  had  a  high  com- 
plexion, a  lively  look  in  her  eyes,  and  her  neck  was  most  fair 
to  behold.  By  her  side  was  a  young,  fresh-looking  cook, 
to  whom  she  was  addressing  words  like  these  : 

"  Clean  me  this  saucepan,  will  you  !  No  rusty  sauce  for 
me!" 

"  As  for  me,"  cried  Ulenspiegel,  poking  in  his  nose  at  the 
window,  "  any  kind  of  soup  is  good  enough  !  For  a  hungry 
man  cannot  afford  to  be  particular." 

The  lady  turned  towards  him  : 

"  And  who,"  she  said,  "  who  is  this  little  man,  I  wonder, 
that  must  needs  concern  himself  with  my  soup  ?  " 

175 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Alas,  my  lovely  lady,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  if  only  you 
will  consent  to  make  soup  in  my  company,  I  will  teach  you 
how  to  prepare  a  traveller's  relish  of  a  sort  that  is  quite 
unknown  to  lovely  ladies  who  stay  at  home." 

And  then,  smacking  his  lips  : 

"  I  am  hungry,"  he  said. 

"  Hungry  for  what  ?  "  she  asked  him. 

"  For  you." 

"  Sure,  he's  a  nice  enough  looking  fellow,"  said  the  cook 
to  her  mistress.  "  Let  him  come  in  a  while  and  tell  us  his 
adventures." 

"  But  there  are  two  of  them  !  "  said  the  lady. 

"  I'll  look  after  the  other,"  said  the  cook. 

"  Madame,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  it  is  true  that  there  are 
two  of  us,  I  and  my  poor  friend  Lamme  here,  whose  back 
cannot  support  so  much  as  the  weight  of  a  hundred  pounds, 
yet  who  carries  in  his  stomach  five  hundred  pounds  at  the 
least  of  food  and  drink,  and  that  right  willingly  !  " 

"  My  son,"  Lamme  said,  "  do  not  make  mock  of  me, 
unfortunate  that  I  am,  for  my  belly  costs  a  deal  to  fill." 

"  To-day,  at  any  rate,  it  shall  not  cost  you  so  much  as  a 
Hard"  said  the  lady.  "  Come  in,  both  of  you." 

"  But  what  about  these  donkeys  of  ours  ?  "  said  Lamme. 

"  There  is  no  lack  of  fodder,"  answered  the  lady,  "  in  the 
stable  of  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Meghen  !  " 

Thereupon  the  cook  left  her  saucepan,  and  led  Lamme  and 
Ulenspiegel  into  the  stable  yard,  they  still  riding  on  their 
donkeys,  who  now  began  to  bray  inordinately. 

"  Hark,"  cried  Ulenspiegel,  "  hearken  to  the  fanfare  with 
which  they  greet  their  coming  nourishment.  They  are  blow- 
ing their  trumpets  for  joy,  the  poor  beasts  !  " 

But  when  they  were  dismounted,  Ulenspiegel  said  to  the 
cook  : 

"  Come  now,  my  dear,  tell  me,  if  you  were  a  she-ass 
would  you  choose  for  your  mate  a  donkey  like  me  ?  " 
176 


TyTs  Repast 

"  If  I  were  a  woman,"  the  cook  replied,  "  I  would  desire 
a  fellow  that  had  a  merry  countenance." 

"  What  are  you  then,"  asked  Lamme,  "  being  neither 
woman  nor  she-ass  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  maid,"  quoth  she,  "  and  that  is  neither  woman 
nor  she-ass  into  the  bargain.  Now  do  you  understand, 
fat-belly  ?  " 

Meantime  the  lady  was  inviting  Ulenspiegel  to  drink  a 
pint  of  bruinbier  and  to  partake  of  some  ham,  a  gigot,  a  paid, 
and  some  salad.  Ulenspiegel  clapped  his  hands. 

"  Ham  !  "  he  cried,  "  that's  good  to  eat ;  and  bruinbier 
is  a  drink  divine.  Gigot  is  food  fit  for  the  Gods  !  And  the 
thought  of  a  pate  is  enough  to  send  one's  tongue  a-tremble 
in  one's  mouth  for  joy  !  A  rich  salad  is  worthy  victual  for  a 
king,  forsooth.  But  blessed  above  all  men  shall  that  man 
be  to  whom  it  is  given  to  dine  off  thy  loveliness,  O  lady  mine  !" 

"  How  the  fellow  does  run  on  !"'  she  exclaimed.  And 
then  :  "  Eat  first,  you  rogue." 

"  Shall  we  not  say  grace  ere  we  consume  all  these 
dainties  ?  "  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Nay,"  answered  the  lady. 

But  Lamme  began  to  make  moan,  complaining  that  he 
was  hungry. 

"  Eat,  then,  your  fill,"  said  the  beautiful  dame,  "  for  well 
I  see  that  you  have  no  other  thoughts  but  of  meats  well 
cooked." 

"  And  fresh  withal,"  Lamme  added,  "  even  as  was  my 
wife." 

At  this  the  cook  grew  moody  ;  nevertheless  they  ate  and 
drank  their  fill,  and  that  night  also  did  the  beautiful  dame 
give  his  supper  to  Ulenspiegel,  and  so  the  next  day,  and  the 
days  that  followed. 

As  for  the  donkeys,  they  were  given  double  feeds,  and 
for  Lamme  there  was  always  a  double  ration.  And  through- 
out a  whole  week  he  never  once  went  outside  the  kitchen, 

M  177 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

playing  the  wanton  with  many  a  dish  of  food,  but  never 
with  the  cook,  for  he  was  thinking  of  his  wife  all  the  time. 

This  annoyed  the  girl,  and  she  went  so  far  as  to  say  that 
it  was  not  worth  while  to  cumber  the  earth  if  one  thought  of 
nothing  but  one's  belly. 

But  all  this  time  Ulenspiegel  and  the  beautiful  dame  were 
passing  the  time  together  in  right  friendly  wise,  till  one  day 
she  said  to  him  : 

"  Tyl,  I  think  you  have  no  principles  at  all.  Who  are 
you  ?  " 

"  I  am,"  said  he,  "  a  son  that  Chance  begat  one  day  on 
High  Adventure." 

"  You  are  not  afraid  to  speak  well  of  yourself,"  she  told 
him. 

"  That's  for  fear  that  others  will  praise  me." 

"  Would  you  go  so  far  as  to  help  such  of  your  brethren 
who  have  suffered  for  the  Faith  ?  " 

"  The  ashes  of  Claes  beat  upon  my  breast." 

"  There  is  something  splendid  about  you,  Tyl,  when  you 
say  that,"  she  told  him,  "  but  who  is  this  Claes  ?  " 

"  He  was  my  father,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  that  was 
burnt  alive  for  the  Faith." 

"  Verily  you  are  not  at  all  like  my  husband,  the  Count  de 
Meghen,"  she  said,  "for  he,  if  he  could,  would  bleed  to 
death  the  country  that  I  love.  For  you  must  know  that  I 
was  born  in  the  glorious  city  of  Antwerp.  And  now  I  will 
make  known  to  you  that  the  Count  has  entered  into  an  agree- 
ment with  the  Councillor  of  Brabant  to  bring  into  that  very 
city  of  Antwerp  a  regiment  of  infantry." 

"  I  must  inform  the  citizens  of  this,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 
"  Behold,  I  will  go  there  immediately,  swift  as  a  ghost." 

He  departed  there  and  then  ;  and  by  the  following  morn- 
ing the  citizens  of  Antwerp  were  in  arms.  But  Ulenspiegel 
and  Lamme,  having  sent  their  donkeys  to  a  farmer  that  was  a 
friend  of  Simon  Simonsen,  were  themselves  obliged  to  go  into 
!78 


Bois-le-Duc  in  Danger 

hiding  for  fear  of  the  Count  de  Meghen,  who  was  seeking  for 
them  everywhere  to  have  them  hanged  ;  for  it  had  been  re- 
ported to  him  that  there  were  two  heretics  that  had  drunk  of 
his  wine  and  eaten  of  his  meat.  And  he  was  jealous  and  spoke 
concerning  this  matter  to  his  lovely  dame,  who  ground  her 
teeth  in  anger,  and  wept  and  swooned  seventeen  times.  The 
cook  behaved  in  a  similar  fashion,  but  swooned  not  so  often, 
and  swore  by  her  hope  of  Paradise  and  by  the  eternal  salva- 
tion of  her  soul,  that  neither  she  nor  her  mistress  had  done 
anything  wrong  unless  it  had  been  to  give  what  was  left  of 
their  dinner  to  a  couple  of  poor  pilgrims  who,  mounted  on 
two  wretched  donkeys,  had  stopped  for  a  moment  at  the 
kitchen  window. 

All  that  day  there  was  a  great  shedding  of  tears,  so  that 
the  floors  of  the  house  became  quite  damp  with  them.  And 
when  he  saw  this,  Monsieur  de  Meghen  felt  reassured  that 
he  was  being  told  the  truth  and  nothing  but  the  truth. 

Lamme  did  not  dare  to  show  himself  again  there,  for  the 
cook  always  jeered  at  him,  calling  after  him,  "  My  wife  !  " 
And  for  this  cause  he  was  very  sorry  for  himself,  thinking 
of  all  the  good  food  that  he  was  missing.  But  Ulenspiegel 
continued  his  visits  to  the  beautiful  dame,  entering  the  house 
by  the  rue  Sainte-Catherine,  and  hiding  himself  in  the  store- 
room. And  he  always  took  care  to  bring  back  to  Lamme  some 
dainty  morsel. 

Now  one  evening  the  Count  de  Meghen  informed  his  lady 
that  before  morning  dawned  he  was  resolved  to  lead  his  men- 
at-arms  into  the  city  of  Bois-le-Duc.  When  he  had  told  her 
this  he  went  to  sleep.  But  the  beautiful  dame  went  straight- 
way to  the  storeroom,  and  apprised  Ulenspiegel  of  what  had 
happened. 

X 

Ulenspiegel,  in  the  garb  of  a  pilgrim,  and  with  no  pro- 
vision of  food  or  money,  departed  incontinently  for  Bois-le- 
Duc,  with  the  intention  of  warning  the  citizens.  He  reckoned 

179 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

to  find  a  horse  at  the  house  of  Jeroen  Praet,  the  brother  of 
Simon  Simonsen,  for  whom  he  carried  letters  from  the  Prince. 
From  thence  he  would  go  by  side  roads  to  Bois-le-Duc  as 
fast  as  his  horse  would  carry  him. 

As  he  was  crossing  the  road  he  spied  a  company  of  soldiers 
coming  towards  him.  This  gave  him  a  great  fright  because 
of  the  letters  which  he  carried  ;  but  being  resolved  to  put 
the  best  face  on  the  misadventure,  he  awaited  the  arrival  of 
the  soldiers  with  all  the  courage  at  his  command,  standing 
still  by  the  roadside  telling  his  beads.  When  the  soldiers 
came  up  with  him  he  joined  them,  and  soon  discovered  that 
they  also  were  going  to  Bois-le-Duc. 

At  the  head  of  the  troop  marched  a  company  of  Walloons 
led  by  a  captain,  Lamotte  by  name,  with  his  bodyguard  of 
six  halberdiers.  Then  followed  the  other  officers  each  accord- 
ing to  rank,  and  with  a  smaller  bodyguard  :  the  provost  with 
\is  halberdiers  and  two  bailiffs,  the  chief  watchman  with  the 
baggage-carriers,  the  executioner  with  his  assistants,  and  a 
band  of  drums  and  fifes  making  a  great  row.  Thereafter 
came  a  company  of  Flemish  soldiers,  two  hundred  strong, 
with  their  captain  and  his  ensign-bearers.  They  were  divided 
into  two  divisions,  each  of  one  hundred  men,  under  the  com- 
mand of  two  sergeants,  and  in  squads  of  ten  under  the  com- 
mand of  corporals.  The  provost  and  his  lieutenants  were 
likewise  preceded  by  a  band  of  drums  and  fifes,  beating  and 
screaming. 

Behind  these,  again,  came  two  open  wagons  wherein  rode 
the  loving  companions  of  the  soldiers,  pealing  with  laughter, 
twittering  like  birds,  singing  like  nightingales,  eating,  drink- 
ing, dancing,  standing,  lying  down,  or  sitting  astride — all 
gay  and  pretty  girls. 

Many  of  them  were  dressed  like  foot-soldiers,  but  in  fine 
white  cloth  which  was  cut  away  at  the  arms  and  legs  and 
at  the  neck  so  as  to  show  their  sweet  white  flesh.  And  on 
their  heads  they  wore  bonnets  of  fine  linen  trimmed  with 
1 80 


The  Gay  Girls 

gold  and  surmounted  with  magnificent  ostrich  plumes  that 
fluttered  in  the  wind.  Their  belts  were  of  cloth  of  gold 
crimped  with  red  satin,  from  which  hung  the  scabbards  of 
their  daggers,  made  of  cloth  of  gold.  And  their  shoes,  their 
stockings,  their  hose,  their  doublets,  shoulder-knots  and 
fitments  were  all  of  gold  and  white  silk.  Others  there  were, 
dressed  also  in  the  uniform  of  infantrymen  but  with  uniforms 
of  divers  colours,  blue,  green,  scarlet,  sky-blue,  and  crimson, 
cut  away  and  embroidered  or  emblazoned  according  to  their 
fancy.  But  on  the  arm  of  each  and  all  was  to  be  seen  the 
coloured  band  that  indicated  her  calling. 

The  girls  were  in  charge  of  a  sergeant  who  did  his  best  to 
keep  them  in  order,  but  they  made  no  pretence  of  obeying 
him,  but  bombarded  him  with  japes  and  sweet  grimaces  so 
that  he  found  it  hard  to  keep  his  countenance. 

Ulenspiegel  meanwhile,  in  his  dress  of  a  pilgrim  and  telling 
his  beads,  went  marching  along  by  the  side  of  the  two  ensign- 
bearers  and  their  guard,  for  all  the  world  like  a  little  boat 
by  the  side  of  a  big  ship.  Suddenly  Lamotte  inquired  of 
him  whither  he  was  going. 

"  Sir  Captain,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  who  was  growing 
hungry,  "  you  must  know  that  I  am  one  that  has  committed 
a  grievous  sin,  for  which  I  have  been  condemned  by  the 
Chapter  of  Notre  Dame  to  journey  to  Rome  on  foot  and  to  ask 
pardon  there  from  the  Holy  Father.  This  he  has  granted, 
and  now  I  am  shriven  and  suffered  to  return  to  my  own  country 
on  the  one  condition  that  I  am  to  preach  the  Holy  Mysteries 
to  whatsoever  soldiers  I  may  encounter  on  the  way  ;  and  they 
for  their  part  are  enjoined  to  give  me  bread  and  wine  in 
return  for  my  preaching.  And  thus  by  my  sermons  do  I 
sustain  my  wretched  life.  Would  you  now  give  me  permission 
to  fulfil  my  vow  at  the  next  halt  ?  " 

"  I  will,"  said  Monsieur  de  Lamotte. 

After  this,  Ulenspiegel  began  to  mingle  with  the  Walloons 
and  Flemings  in  right  brotherly  fashion,  but  all  the  time  he 

181 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

kept  fingering  those  letters  which  he  kept  concealed  under  his 
doublet.  And  the  girls  began  to  cry  out  to  him  : 

"  Come  hither,  handsome  pilgrim,  come  hither  and  show 
us  the  strength  of  your  pilgrim's  oyster-shells  !  " 

And  Ulenspiegel  drew  nigh  to  them  with  modest  mien, 
and  said  : 

"  O  my  sisters  in  God,  pray  you  do  not  make  mock  of  the 
poor  pilgrim  that  wendeth  up  hill  and  down  dale  preaching 
ever  the  Holy  Faith  to  the  soldiers." 

But  with  his  eyes  he  feasted  himself  upon  the  sight  of 
their  sweet  charms.  And  the  wanton  girls,  thrusting  their 
lively  faces  betwixt  the  canvas  curtains  of  the  wagons, 
cried  out  to  him  yet  the  more  : 

"  Surely  you  are  too  young  a  man  to  go  preaching  to 
soldiers  ?  Climb  up  into  our  wagon  and  we  will  teach  thee 
more  gentle  subjects  of  conversation  !  " 

And  right  willingly  would  Ulenspiegel  have  done  as  they 
bade  him,  but  he  dared  not,  by  reason  of  the  letters  which  he 
carried.  And  already  two  of  the  girls  were  leaning  out  of  the 
wagon  trying  to  hoist  him  up  with  their  white,  round  arms. 
But  the  sergeant  was  jealous. 

"  Be  off  with  you,  or  else  I'll  off  with  your  head  !  "  he 
threatened. 

So  Ulenspiegel  removed  himself  away,  but  not  without  a 
sly  look  behind  him  at  the  fresh  young  beauty  of  those  joy- 
some  girls,  all  golden  in  the  sun  which  now  shone  brightly. 

They  came  at  last  to  Berchem,  where  Philip  de  Lannoy, 
Lord  of  Beauvoir,  ordered  a  halt.  For  he  it  was  that  was  in 
command  of  the  Flemings. 

Now  in  that  place  was  an  oak-tree,  of  medium  height,  but 
despoiled  of  all  its  branches  save  one  only,  a  big  branch  that 
was  broken  off  short  in  the  middle  ;  for  only  a  month  before 
an  Anabaptist  had  been  hanged  there  by  the  neck. 

Here  then  the  soldiers  came  to  a  halt,  and  the  keepers  of 
the  canteen  came  up  and  began  to  sell  to  them  bread,  wine, 
182 


Tyl's  Sermon 

beer,  with  meats  of  every  kind.  And  to  the  gay  girls  they 
sold  all  manner  of  sugared  sweets,  and  castrelins,  and  almonds, 
and  tartlets,  the  which  when  Ulenspiegel  saw,  he  felt  hungrier 
than  ever. 

All  at  once  Ulenspiegel  climbed  up  like  a  monkey  into  the 
tree,  and  seated  himself  astride  on  the  big  branch,  seven  feet 
above  the  ground  at  the  least.  And  then,  when  he  had  given 
himself  a  few  strokes  from  his  pilgrim's  scourge,  he  began  his 
sermon,  while  the  soldiers  and  their  gay  girls  sat  round  him 
in  a  circle. 

"  It  is  written,"  he  began,  "  that  whosoever  giveth  to  the 
poor,  the  same  lendeth  to  God.  Very  well  then,  O  soldiers 
present  here  to-day,  and  you,  fair  ladies,  sweet  comrades  in 
love  of  all  these  valiant  warriors,  do  you  lend  now  to  God. 
That  is  to  say,  give  me,  I  beg  you,  some  of  your  bread,  meat, 
wine,  beer,  if  you  please,  and  eke  your  tartlets,  and  I  promise 
you  that  God,  who  is  very  rich,  shall  give  you  back  in  ex- 
change many  pieces  of  ortolan,  rivers  of  malmsey  wine, 
mountains  of  sugar-candy,  and  great  pieces  of  that  lovely 
rystpap  which  they  eat  in  Paradise  from  silver  spoons." 

Then,  changing  to  a  more  sorrowful  tone,  he  continued  : 

"  Behold  now,  with  what  cruel  tortures  do  I  strive  to  merit 
pardon  for  my  sins  !  Will  you  do  nothing  to  assuage  the 
smarting  pain  of  this  scourge  by  which  my  back  is  lacerated 
till  the  blood  flows  ?  " 

"  Who  is  this  madman  ?  "  cried  the  soldiers. 

"  My  friends,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  I  am  no  madman 
but  one  that  is  repentant  even  to  the  point  of  starvation. 
For  while  my  soul  weeps  for  its  sins,  my  stomach  weeps  for 
want  of  food.  Good  soldiers,  and  you,  fair  damosels,  I  see 
you  well  provided  with  ham  and  goose,  with  fat  sausages 
and  wine  and  beer  and  all  manner  of  tartlets.  Will  you  not 
give  so  much  as  a  morsel  to  the  wandering  pilgrim  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  will,"  cried  the  Flemish  soldiers,  "  for  the 
preacher  hath  a  merry  countenance." 

183 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

And  now  they  all  began  to  throw  him  chunks  of  bread  as 
though  they  had  been  balls,  and  Ulenspiegel  did  not  cease 
from  talking  and  from  eating,  astride  as  he  was  on  the  branch. 

"  Hunger,"  he  said,  "  makes  a  man  hard  of  heart  and 
little  apt  for  prayer,  yet  a  piece  of  ham  removes  that  evil 
disposition  in  no  time." 

"  Look  out  for  your  head,"  shouted  a  sergeant  as  he 
threw  him  a  bottle  half  full  of  wine.  Ulenspiegel  caught  the 
bottle  in  mid-air,  and  began  to  drink  in  little  gulps,  talking 
all  the  while. 

"  If  hunger,  sharp  and  raging,  is  bane  to  the  poor  body  of  a 
pilgrim,  there  is  something  else  that  is  equally  harmful  to  his 
soul ;  nothing  less  than  his  fear  that  the  generosity  of  his 
soldier  friends  may  lead  him  on  to  drunkenness.  For  as  a 
general  rule  the  pilgrim  is  a  right  sober  fellow,  but  when,  as 
now,  one  soldier  gives  him  a  slice  of  ham,  and  another  a  bottle 
of  beer,  he  is  mightily  afraid  lest  by  drinking  thus  upon  an 
empty,  or  nearly  empty,  stomach  he  may  lose  his  h£ad." 

And  even  as  he  spoke,  he  caught  hold  of  the  leg  of  a  goose 
that  came  whizzing  to  him  through  the  air. 

"  This  truly  is  a  miracle,"  he  cried,  "  that  one  should  go 
fishing  in  the  air  for  a  bird  of  the  field  !  And  see  !  Hey, 
presto  !  it  has  disappeared,  bone  and  all !  Verily,  what  is  it 
that  is  greedier  than  dry  sand  ?  I  will  tell  you.  A  barren 
woman  and  a  hungry  man." 

Scarcely  had  he  spoken  than  he  clapped  his  hand  to  his 
face,  for  two  tartlets  had  flattened  themselves,  one  on  his  eye, 
the  other  on  his  cheek.  The  gay  girls  who  had  thrown  them 
laughed  aloud,  but  Ulenspiegel  made  answer  : 

"  Many  thanks,  my  pretties,  many  thanks  for  thus  em- 
bracing me  with  this  jammy  accolade." 

Nevertheless  the  tartlets  had  fallen  to  the  ground. 

And  then  suddenly  the  drums  began  to  beat,  the  fifes 
screamed,  and  the  soldiers  fell  in  again. 

Monsieur  de  Beauvoir  ordered  Ulenspiegel  to  come  down 
184 


Tyl  escapes  from  the  Soldiers 

from  his  tree  and  to  march  by  the  side  of  the  soldiers.  Ulen- 
spiegel  would  willingly  have  been  parted  from  them  by  a 
hundred  leagues,  for  he  had  gathered  from  the  remarks  let 
fall  by  certain  thin-faced  foot-soldiers  that  he  was  already 
under  suspicion,  and  that  he  ran  danger  of  being  arrested  for 
a  spy ;  and  if  this  was  so,  he  knew  that  they  would  most 
certainly  search  his  pockets,  and  have  him  hanged  when  they 
found  the  letters  which  he  carried.  So  in  a  little  while  he 
purposely  let  himself  stumble  into  the  ditch  which  ran  by  the 
wayside,  and  as  he  fell  he  cried  out  loudly  : 

"  Mercy,  soldiers,  mercy !  My  leg  is  broken,  and  now  I 
cannot  walk  any  more.  You  must  let  me  get  up  into  the 
cart  with  the  girls  !  " 

But  to  this  he  knew  that  the  jealous  sergeant  would 
never  consent. 

The  girls,  meanwhile,  cried  out  from  the  carts : 

"  Come,  come,  jolly  pilgrim,  and  we  will  succour  you,  and 
caress  and  make  much  of  you,  and  cure  you  all  in  a  day." 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  for  a  woman's  hand  is 
balm  celestial  for  all  and  every  wound." 

But  the  jealous  sergeant  consulted  with  Monsieur  de 
Lamotte,  saying  : 

"  Sir,  I  suspect  that  this  pilgrim  is  playing  some  trick 
upon  us  with  his  tale  of  a  broken  leg.  All  he  wants  is  to 
have  the  chance  of  getting  up  into  the  cart  with  the  girls. 
Order  him  rather  to  be  left  behind  on  the  road." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Monsieur  de  Lamotte. 

So  Ulenspiegel  was  left  where  he  was  in  the  ditch. 

Some  soldiers,  who  really  believed  that  his  leg  was  broken, 
were  sorry  for  him  because  of  his  gaiety,  and  they  left  with 
him  a  two  days'  ration  of  food  and  wine.  And  the  girls 
would  have  got  down  and  run  to  his  assistance,  but  as  this  was 
forbidden  they  threw  him  all  that  was  left  of  their  castrelins. 

As  soon  as  the  soldiers  had  disappeared  in  the  distance 
Ulenspiegel,  still  in  his  pilgrim's  dress,  recovered  his  liberty, 

185 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

purchased  a  horse,  and  rode  like  the  wind  by  roads  and  by- 
paths to  Bois-le-Duc. 

When  he  told  them  the  news  of  the  approach  of  Monsieur 
de  Lamotte,  the  townspeople  flew  to  arms  to  the  number  of 
eight  hundred  men,  and  they  chose  out  their  leaders,  and  sent 
off  Ulenspiegel,  disguised  as  a  charcoal-burner,  to  Antwerp  to 
summon  help  from  Hercule  Brederode,  surnamed  the  Toper. 

And  the  soldiers  of  de  Lamotte  and  de  Beauvoir  were  able 
to  gain  no  entry  into  Bois-le-Duc,  most  vigilant  of  cities, 
most  valiant  in  defence. 

XI 

One  day  Simon  Simonsen  said  to  Ulenspiegel : 

"  Hearken,  brother  mine,  and  tell  me,  are  you  a  brave  man 
think  you  ?  " 

"  Brave  enough,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  to  whip  a 
Spaniard  to  death,  to  kill  an  assassin,  or  to  murder  a 
murderer." 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  hide  yourself  in  a  chimney  and 
wait  there  patiently  so  as  to  overhear  what  was  being  said  in 
the  room  below  ?  " 

God  has  given  me  strong  legs,"  answered  Ulenspiegel, 
"  and  a  supple  back,  and  in  virtue  of  these  gifts  I  could 
stand  a  long  time  in  whatever  position  I  would,  like  a  cat." 

"  Have  you  patience  and  a  good  memory  ?  "  asked  Simon. 

"  The  ashes  of  Claes  beat  upon  my  breast,"  answered 
Ulenspiegel. 

"  Very  well  then,"  said  Simon,  "  you  will  take  this 
playing  card,  folded  as  you  see  it,  and  you  will  go  to  Dender- 
monde  to  a  house,  a  drawing  of  which  I  will  give  you,  and 
you  will  knock  at  the  door  twice  loudly  and  once  softly. 
Some  one  will  open  to  you  and  will  ask  if  you  are  the  chimney- 
sweep ;  you  will  answer  that  you  are  he  and  that  you  have 
not  lost  the  card.  Then  you  will  show  the  card  to  him  who 
opened  the  door.  After  that,  Tyl,  you  must  do  as  best  you 
can.  For  great  are  the  evils  that  are  a-planning  against  the 
1 86 


The  Adventure  of  the  Chimney 

land  of  Flanders.  And  you  will  be  conducted  to  a  chimney 
that  has  been  swept  and  cleaned  against  your  arrival,  and  in 
it  you  will  find  a  series  of  strong  cramp-irons  made  ready  for 
you  to  climb  by,  and  a  little  wooden  shelf  securely  fastened 
to  the  side  of  the  chimney  for  a  seat ;  and  when  he  that  has 
opened  the  door  shall  direct  you,  you  will  climb  up  into 
your  hiding-place,  and  there  remain.  In  the  chamber  below, 
and  in  front  of  the  chimney  where  you  will  be  hidden,  a 
conference  is  to  be  held  between  certain  noble  Lords  :  William 
the  Silent,  Prince  of  Orange,  and  the  Counts  d'Egmont,  de 
Hoorn,  de  Hoogstraeten,  and  Ludwig  of  Nassau,  the  brother 
of  William.  And  we  Reformers  desire  to  find  out  whether 
these  noble  Lords  are  able  and  willing  to  undertake  the  saving 
of  our  country." 

Well,  on  the  first  day  of  April,  Ulenspiegel  did  as  he  had 
been  bidden  and  took  up  his  place  in  the  chimney.  Luckily 
for  him  there  was  no  fire  in  the  grate,  and  it  seemed  that  the 
absence  of  smoke  would  not  make  it  any  the  less  easy  for  him 
to  hear  properly.  After  a  little  while  the  door  of  the  room 
was  opened,  and  Ulenspiegel  was  pierced  through  and  through 
by  a  draught  of  cold  wind  blowing  up  the  chimney.  But  he 
endured  the  wind  with  patience,  telling  himself  that  it  would 
serve  to  keep  him  alert  and  attentive. 

After  a  while  he  could  hear  my  Lords  of  Orange,  Egmont 
and  the  rest  making  their  entrance  into  the  room.  They 
began  by  speaking  of  the  fears  they  felt,  of  the  wrath  of  the 
King  and  of  the  maladministration  of  the  revenue  and 
finances  of  the  country.  One  of  them  spoke  in  a  sharp, 
clear,  and  haughty  tone  of  voice,  which  Ulenspiegel  recognized 
as  that  of  my  Lord  of  Egmont ;  just  as  he  recognized  de  Hoog- 
straeten by  his  husky  tones,  and  de  Hoorn  by  his  loud  voice, 
the  Count  Ludwig  of  Nassau  by  his  firm  and  soldierly  manner  of 
speech,  and  William  the  Silent  by  that  slow,  deliberate  way  of 
enunciating  his  words  as  if  they  had  all  been  thought  out 
beforehand  and  weighed  in  a  balance. 

187 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

The  Count  d'Egmont  asked  why  they  had  been  summoned 
to  this  second  conference  when  they  had  had  plenty  of  time  at 
Hellegat  to  come  to  a  decision  on  what  they  meant  to  do. 
De  Hoorn  replied  that  the  days  passed  quickly,  that  the  King 
was  growing  angry,  and  that  they  must  be  careful  to  lose  no 
time. 

Then  spake  William  the  Silent. 

"  The  country  is  in  danger.  It  must  be  defended  against 
the  attack  of  a  foreign  army." 

At  this  d'Egmont  grew  excited,  and  said  that  he  was 
indeed  astonished  to  hear  that  the  King  his  master  had 
thought  it  necessary  to  send  an  army  when  all  was  so  peaceful 
by  reason  of  the  watchful  care  of  their  noble  Lordships,  and 
of  himself  especially. 

But  William  the  Silent  made  answer  : 

"  King  Philip  already  has  an  army  in  the  Low  Countries 
consisting  of  not  less  than  fourteen  regiments  of  artillery, 
and  they  are  under  the  control  of  him  who  commanded  them 
at  Gravelines,  a  general  to  whom  all  the  soldiers  are  devoted." 

D'Egmont  said  that  he  could  scarcely  believe  it. 

"  I  will  say  no  more,"  said  William,  "  but  there  are 
certain  letters  which  shall  be  read  to  you  and  to  the  assembled 
Lords,  and  to  begin  with,  letters  from  the  poor  prisoner, 
Monsieur  de  Montigny." 

And  in  these  letters  it  was  told  how  that  the  King  was 
extremely  vexed  with  what  was  happening  in  the  Low 
Countries,  and  that  when  the  hour  was  come  he  had  deter- 
mined to  punish  the  fomenters  of  disturbance. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  the  Count  d'Egmont  com- 
plained of  the  cold,  and  desired  to  have  the  fire  lit ;  the  which 
was  done  while  the  two  Lords  continued  their  discussion  of 
those  letters.  Now  it  was  a  big  fire  of  wood,  but  it  did  not 
burn  well  on  account  of  that  big  obstruction  which  was 
hidden  in  the  chimney,  and  the  room  became  quickly  full  of 
smoke. 
188 


A  Secret  Council 

Then  the  Count  de  Hoogstraeten  began  to  read  (for  all  that 
he  was  coughing  continually  because  of  the  smoke)  certain 
letters  which  had  been  intercepted  on  their  way  from  Alava, 
the  Spanish  ambassador,  to  the  Governess  of  the  Nether- 
lands. 

"  The  ambassador,"  he  said,  "  writes  that  all  the  evil  that 
has  happened  in  the  Low  Countries  was  the  work  of  three 
men  :  the  Lords  of  Orange,  Egmont,  and  Hoorn.  But  it 
were  desirable,  he  adds,  to  appear  well  disposed  to  these 
three,  and  to  tell  them  that  the  King  recognizes  that  it  is 
thanks  to  them  that  their  lands  have  been  kept  loyal  to  him. 
As  for  the  two  others,  Montigny  and  de  Berghes,  let  them 
alone  where  they  are." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  I  had  rather  a  smoky  chimney 
in  the  land  of  Flanders  than  a  damp  prison  in  the  land  of 
Spain  ;  for  garrotters  grow  between  damp  walls." 

But  the  Count  de  Hoogstraeten  continued  : 

"  The  said  ambassador  adds  that  on  one  occasion  the 
King,  being  in  the  city  of  Madrid,  spoke  these  words  :  *  By 
all  accounts  that  come  from  the  Low  Countries  it  is  evident 
that  our  royal  reputation  is  diminished,  and  we  are  ready 
therefore  to  abandon  all  our  other  possessions  rather  than 
leave  such  a  rebellion  unpunished.  We  are  decided  to  proceed 
to  the  Netherlands  in  person,  and  to  claim  the  assistance  of 
the  Pope  and  of  the  Emperor.  For  beneath  the  present  evil 
is  concealed  a  future  good.  We  shall  reclaim  the  Low 
Countries  to  absolute  obedience,  and  according  to  our  own 
will  we  shall  modify  the  constitution  of  that  State,  its  re- 
ligion and  its  government." 

"  Ah,  King  Philip,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  if  only  I  could 
modify  yours  to  mine  !  Verily  you  would  suffer,  under  the 
blows  of  my  trusty  Flemish  stick,  a  wondrous  modification 
of  your  thighs  and  arms  and  legs  !  I  would  fix  your  head  in 
the  middle  of  your  back  with  a  couple  of  nails,  and  as  you 
viewed  from  this  position  the  charnel-house  you  have  created, 

189 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

you  should  sing  at  your  good  ease  a  pretty  song  of  tyrannous 
modification !  " 

Now  wine  was  brought,  and  de  Hoogstraeten  rose  upon  his 
feet  and  said  : 

"  I  drink  to  our  country !  "  and  every  one  followed  his 
example,  and  when  he  had  finished  the  toast  he  threw  his 
empty  tankard  down  on  the  table,  and  said  :  "  Now  sounds  an 
evil  hour  for  the  nobility  of  Belgium.  Let  us  take  counsel 
as  to  how  we  may  best  defend  ourselves." 

He  awaited  some  response,  and  looked  at  d'Egmont,  but  he 
uttered  not  a  word,  and  it  was  left  to  William  of  Orange  to 
break  the  silence. 

"  We  can  offer  resistance,"  he  said,  "  provided  that  the 
Count  d'Egmont — who  at  Saint-Quentin  and  at  Gravelines 
has  twice  made  France  to  tremble  and  who  holds  complete 
sway  over  the  Flemish  soldiery — provided  that  he,  I  repeat, 
is  willing  to  come  to  our  assistance  in  our  endeavour  to 
prevent  the  Spaniard  from  entering  the  fatherland." 

To  this  my  Lord  of  Egmont  made  answer  : 

"  I  have  too  much  respect  for  the  King  to  think  that  it  is 
right  that  we  should  take  up  arms  against  him  like  rebels. 
Let  those  who  fear  his  wrath  retire  before  it.  I  shall  remain 
where  I  am,  for  I  have  no  means  of  living  if  I  am  deprived  of 
his  help." 

"  Philip  knows  how  to  avenge  himself  most  cruelly,"  said 
William  the  Silent. 

"  I  trust  him,"  answered  d'Egmont. 

"  You  would  trust  him  with  your  heads  ?  "  asked  Ludwig 
of  Nassau. 

"  Head,  body,  and  soul,"  replied  d'Egmont. 

"  Friend,  faithful  and  true,  I  will  do  likewise,"  said  de 
Hoorn. 

But  William  said  : 

"  It  behoves  us  to  be  far-sighted,  and  not  to  wait  for  things 
to  happen." 
190 


"  God  is  with  the  Prince  ' 

And  then  my  Lord  of  Egmont  spoke  again,  very  excitedly. 

"  I  have  arrested  twenty-two  Reformers  at  Grammont," 
he  said,  "  and  if  their  preachings  come  to  an  end,  and  if 
punishment  is  meted  out  to  the  iconoclasts,  the  anger  of  the 
King  will  be  appeased." 

But  William  said  : 

"  These  are  mere  hopes." 

"  Let  us  arm  ourselves  with  trust,"  said  d'Egmont. 

"  Let  us  arm  ourselves  with  trust,"  echoed  de  Hoorn. 

"  It  is  cold  steel  rather  than  trust  that  should  be  our 
weapons,"  replied  de  Hoogstraeten. 

Whereupon  William  the  Silent  made  a  sign  to  the  effect 
that  he  wished  to  depart. 

"  Adieu,  Prince  without  a  country,"  said  the  Count 
d'Egmont. 

"  Adieu,  Prince  without  a  head,"  answered  William. 

"  The  sheep  are  for  the  butcher,"  said  Ludwig  of  Nassau, 
"  but  glory  waits  the  soldier  that  saves  the  land  of  his  fathers." 

"  That  I  cannot,"  said  d'Egmont,  "  neither  do  I  desire  to." 

"  May  the  blood  of  the  victims  fall  once  again  upon  the 
head  of  the  flatterer,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

And  then  those  Lords  retired. 

Whereupon  did  Ulenspiegel  come  down  from  his  chimney, 
and  go  straightway  to  carry  the  news  to  Praet.  And  the 
latter  said  :  "  D'Egmont  is  nothing  better  than  a  traitor. 
But  God  is  with  the  Prince." 

The  Duke !  The  Duke  at  Brussels !  Where  are  the  safes 
and  coffers  that  have  wings  ? 

XII 

William  the  Silent  went  in  the  way  by  God  appointed. 
As  for  the  two  Counts,  they  had  already  given  themselves  up 
to  the  Duke  of  Alba,  who  offered  pardon  to  William  as  well  if 
only  he  would  appear  before  him. 

191 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

At  this  news  Ulenspiegel  said  to  Lamme  : 
"  My  good  friend,  what  do  you  think  now  ?  The  Duke  has 
sent  out  a  summons  through  Dubois,  the  Attorney-General, 
by  which  the  Prince  of  Orange,  Ludwig  his  brother,  de  Hoog- 
straeten,  Van  den  Bergh,  Culembourg,  de  Brederode,  and 
other  friends  of  the  Prince  are  cited  to  appear  before  him 
within  forty  days  ;  and  if  they  do  this  they  are  assured  of 
justice  and  mercy.  But  listen,  Lamme,  and  I  will  tell  you  a 
story.  One  day  there  was  a  Jew  of  Amsterdam  who  sum- 
moned one  of  his  enemies  to  come  down  and  join  him  in 
the  street,  for  the  Jew  was  standing  on  the  pavement,  but 
his  enemy  was  looking  out  of  a  window  just  above.  '  Come 
down  at  once,'  said  the  Jew, '  and  I  will  give  you  such  a  blow 
on  the  head  as  will  squash  it  down  into  your  chest,  so  that 
your  two  eyes  will  look  out  from  your  sides  like  the  eyes  of  a 
thief  from  betwixt  prison-bars.'  But  the  other  answered : 
f  Even  if  you  promised  me  a  hundred  times  as  much,  still  I 
would  not  come  down.'  Even  so  may  the  Prince  of  Orange 
and  his  friends  make  reply  to  him  that  summons  them  !  " 

And  so  they  did,  refusing  point-blank  to  appear  before  the 
Duke.  But  the  Counts  d'Egmont  and  de  Hoorn  were  not 
of  this  mind.  And  their  failure  to  do  their  duty  brought 
them  nearer  to  their  doom. 

XIII 

One  day  in  June,  a  fine  warm  day  it  was,  a  scaffold  was  set 
up  in  the  market  square  at  Brussels,  in  front  of  the  Town 
Hall.  The  scaffold  was  draped  in  black,  and  close  to  it  were 
two  tall  posts  tipped  with  steel.  On  the  scaffold  were  a 
couple  of  black  cushions  and  a  little  table  with  a  silver  cross 
thereon. 

And  on  this  scaffold  were  beheaded  the  noble  Counts 
d'Egmont  and  de  Hoorn.     And  the  King  entered  into  their 
inheritance.     And  it  was  of  the  Count  d'Egmont  that  the 
ambassador  of  Francis  spake,  saying  : 
192 


Spreading  the  Revolt 

"  This  day  have  I  seen  a  man  beheaded  who  twice  made 
the  Kingdom  of  France  to  tremble." 

And  the  heads  of  the  two  Counts  were  placed  upon  the 
posts  with  the  iron  tips.  And  Ulenspiegel  said  to  Lamme  : 

"  With  a  black  cloth  have  they  covered  both  their  flesh 
and  their  blood.  Verily,  blessed  now  are  they  who  keep 
heart  high  and  sword  drawn  in  the  dark  days  that  are 
coming ! " 

XIV 

In  those  days  William  the  Silent  gathered  together  an 
army  and  invaded  the  country  of  the  Netherlands  from 
three  sides. 

And  Ulenspiegel  was  at  a  meeting  of  his  countrymen  at 
Marenhout.  And  they  were  wild  with  anger  and  he  addressed 
them  in  this  wise  : 

"  Know  you,  my  friends,  that  King  Philip  has  taken 
counsel  with  the  Holy  Inquisition,  and  by  their  advice  he  has 
declared  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  Netherlands  to  be  guilty 
of  high  treason.  And  the  charge  against  them  is  one  of 
heresy,  namely,  that  either  they  are  heretics  themselves,  or 
else  that  they  have  put  no  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  spread 
of  heretical  doctrine.  And  for  this  execrable  crime  the  King 
has  condemned  them  all,  without  regard  to  age  or  sex,  to 
suffer  the  appropriate  penalties — all  except  a  few  here  and 
there  that  are  exempted  by  name.  And  there  is  no  hope  of 
grace  or  pardon.  And  the  King  will  enter  into  their  inheri- 
tance. For  the  scythes  of  Death  are  busy  through  all  the 
wide  land  that  borders  the  North  Sea  :  the  Duchy  of  Emden, 
the  river-land  of  Amise,  and  the  countries  of  Westphalia  and 
of  Cleves,  of  Juliers  and  Li6ge,  together  with  the  Bishoprics  of 
Cologne  and  Treves  and  the  lands  of  France  and  Lorraine. 
The  scythes  of  Death  are  busy  over  more  than  three  hundred 
leagues  of  our  soil,  and  in  two  hundred  of  our  walled  towns, 
in  a  hundred  and  fifty  boroughs,  in  the  countrysides  and 
villages  and  level  lands  of  the  whole  country.  And  the 

N  193 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

King  is  taking  all  for  his  own.  And  I  tell  you,"  Ulenspiegel 
continued,  "  that  eleven  thousand  executioners  will  not  be 
too  many  for  this  business.  But  the  Duke  of  Alba  calls  them 
soldiers.  And  all  the  land  of  our  fathers  is  become  a  charnel- 
house.  Fugitive  are  all  the  arts  of  peace,  and  all  the  crafts 
and  industries  abandon  us  now  to  enrich  those  foreign  lands 
which  still  permit  a  man  to  worship  at  home  the  God  of 
conscience.  But  here  the  scythes  of  Death  are  busy,  and  the 
King  takes  all  for  his  own. 

"  Our  country,  as  you  know,  had  gained  various  privi- 
leges by  gifts  of  money  to  princes  when  they  were  in  need. 
But  now  these  privileges  have  all  been  annulled.  And  as 
the  result  of  many  an  agreement  made  between  ourselves 
and  our  overlords  we  had  hoped  to  enjoy  the  wealth  that 
came  to  us  as  the  fruit  of  our  labours  Yet  were  we 
deceived.  The  stone-mason  builded  for  the  incendiary,  the 
labourer  laboured  for  the  thief.  And  the  King  takes  all 
for  his  own. 

"  Blood  and  tears  !  Everywhere  naught  but  blood  and 
tears  !  For  the  scythes  of  Death  are  busy — busy  at  the  places 
of  execution  and  at  the  trees  that  serve  for  gallows  by  the 
roadsides  ;  and  at  many  an  open  grave  wherein  are  thrown 
the  living  bodies  of  our  maids.  And  they  are  busy  in  the 
prison  dungeons  and  within  those  circles  of  faggots  that  flame 
around  the  victims,  scorching  them  little  by  little  to  death ; 
or  in  the  huts  of  straw  where  they  fall  suffocated  in  the  fire 
and  the  smoke.  And  the  King  takes  all  for  his  own.  And 
this,  forsooth,  by  the  will  of  the  Pope  of  Rome.  The  very 
cities  teem  with  spies  that  await  their  share  of  the  plunder. 
The  richer  one  is  the  more  likely  one  is  to  be  found  guilty. 
And  the  King  takes  all  for  his  own. 

"  But  never  shall  the  valiant  men  of   Flanders  suffer 
themselves  to  be  butchered  thus  like  lambs.     For  among  those 
who  fly  away  for  refuge  there  are  some  who  carry  arms,  and 
these  are  hiding  in  the  woods.  .  .  . 
194 


Let  the  Monks  pay 

"The  monks  verily  have  denounced  them  and  hold  them- 
selves free  to  kill  them  and  take  possession  of  their  goods. 
But  by  night  and  day  these  refugees,  banded  together  like 
wild  beasts,  rush  down  upon  the  monasteries  and  seize  the 
money  that  has  been  stolen  from  the  poor,  and  take  it  away 
under  the  form  of  candlesticks  and  reliquaries  of  gold  and 
silver,  ciboria  and  patens,  and  other  precious  vessels  of 
the  kind.  .  .  .  Do  I  not  speak  truth,  my  friends  ?  And 
they  drink  therefrom  that  wine  which  the  monks  had  been 
keeping  for  themselves.  And  when  melted  down  or  mort- 
gaged, these  vessels  will  serve  to  provide  money  for  the  Holy 
War.  Long  live  the  Beggarmen ! 

"  And  even  now  they  begin  to  harass  the  soldiers  of  the 
King,  killing  and  plundering,  then  back  into  their  lairs.  And 
in  the  woods  by  day  and  night  are  to  be  seen  the  fires  which 
have  been  lit  during  the  hours  of  darkness,  flaring  up  or  dying 
down  and  ever  breaking  out  in  some  fresh  place.  These  are 
the  fires  of  our  banquetings.  All  for  us  the  game  of  the  woods, 
both  furred  and  feathered.  We  are  the  masters  here.  And 
the  peasants  load  us  with  bread  and  bacon  whenever  we  are 
in  need.  Look  at  them  Lamme ;  fierce  and  talkative, 
resolute  and  proud  of  bearing,  they  wander  through  the 
woods.  And  they  are  armed  with  hatchets  and  halberds, 
and  with  long  swords  and  bragmarts,  with  arquebuses,  pikes, 
lances,  and  crossbows.  For  any  kind  of  weapon  is  good 
enough  for  such  brave  men,  and  they  need  no  officers  to  lead 
them.  Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !  " 

And  Ulenspiegel  sang  this  song : 

Beat  the  drum  !     Beat  the  drum  ! 

Drums  of  war  / 
Slit  the  carcass  of  the  Duke, 
Flog  him  on  his  hangman* s  face  ! 

To  the  death  with  the  murderer  ! 


195 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Beat  the  drum  !     Beat  the  drum  ! 

Drums  of  war  ! 
With  the  victims  of  his  wrath 
Foul  corruption  let  him  share  ! 

But  long  live  the  Beggarmen  ! 

Christ  from  Heaven  look  Thou  down. 

Look  upon  thy  soldiers  true, 
'That  risk  hanging,  fire,  and  sword 

For  thy  Word  ! 

And  for  their  dear  Fatherland  ! 
Beat  the  drum  !     Beat  the  drum  ! 

Drums  of  war  ! 

And  all  drank  the  toast  and  cried  aloud  : 

"  Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !  " 

And  Ulenspiegel  drank  in  his  turn  from  a  golden  goblet 
that  had  once  belonged  to  some  monk  or  other,  and  proudly 
he  gazed  on  the  wild  faces  of  the  brave  Beggarmen  that  stood 
before  him. 

"  Men,"  he  cried,  "  wild  beasts  rather  that  are  my  com- 
rades, be  you  wolves  lions,  or  tigers  in  very  deed,  and  eat  up 
all  the  cursed  dogs  of  this  King  of  Blood  !  " 

"  Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !  "  they  shouted,  and  yet  again 
they  sang  the  song  of 

Beat  the  drum  !  Beat  the  drum  ! 
Drums  of  war  ! 

XV 

William  the  Silent,  with  his  army,  was  at  the  gates  of 
Liege.  But  before  crossing  the  Meuse  he  made  sundry 
marches  and  counter-marches,  leading  the  Duke  astray,  for 
all  his  vigilance. 

Ulenspiegel  applied  himself  most  diligently  to  his  duties 
as  a  soldier,  worked  his  arquebus  most  skilfully,  and  kept  his 
eyes  and  ears  wide  open. 
196 


In  the  Camp  of  the  Prince  of  Orange 

Now  at  that  time  there  arrived  in  the  camp  certain 
gentlemen  of  Flanders  and  Brabant,  and  these  lived  in 
friendly  fashion  with  the  colonels  and  captains  of  the  Prince's 
following. 

But  soon  there  came  into  being  two  parties  in  the  camp, 
who  began  to  dispute  one  with  the  other  continually,  some 
saying  that  William  was  a  traitor,  others  that  such  accusation 
was  a  gross  libel  on  the  Prince,  and  that  they  who  had  made  it 
should  be  forced  to  eat  their  words.  Suspicion  grew  and  grew 
like  a  spot  of  oil,  and  at  length  they  came  to  blows — 
small  companies  of  six,  eight,  or  a  dozen  men  fighting  together 
in  single  combat,  with  all  kinds  of  weapons  and  sometimes 
with  arquebuses  even. 

One  day  the  Prince,  hearing  the  noise,  came  to  see  what 
was  going  on,  and  walked  straight  in  between  the  com- 
batants. It  chanced  that  a  piece  of  shot  hit  his  sword  and 
struck  it  from  his  side.  He  stopped  the  combat,  and  visited 
the  whole  camp,  intending  to  put  an  end  once  for  all  to  these 
combats  and  to  these  cries  of  "  Death  to  William  !  "  "  Death 
to  the  war !  " 

Now  the  day  after  this  adventure,  Ulenspiegel  had  been 
to  the  house  of  a  Walloon  maiden  to  sing  to  her  some  Flemish 
love-songs  of  his.  And  it  was  near  midnight,  and  very 
misty,  and  Ulenspiegel,  being  just  about  to  leave  the  house, 
thought  he  heard  the  cawing  of  a  crow,  three  times  repeated. 
And  the  sound  came  from  the  door  of  a  cottage  close  by. 
And  from  far  off  came  other  cawings,  three  times  repeated, 
as  if  in  answer.  Presently  a  peasant  made  his  appearance  at 
the  doorway  of  the  cottage,  and  at  the  same  time  Ulenspiegel 
heard  steps  on  the  road.  Two  men  came  up  to  the  peasant 
and  began  to  talk  to  him  in  the  Spanish  tongue.  The  peasant 
spoke  to  them,  also  in  Spanish  : 

"  Well  ?     And  how  goes  it  ?  "  asked  the  cottager. 

"  Well,  indeed,"  the  two  men  answered.  "  We  have  been 
spreading  rumours  on  behalf  of  the  King,  and  it  is  thanks  to  us 

197 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  U/enspiegel 

that  the  captains  and  their  soldiers  are  everywhere  suspicious 
and  talking  among  themselves  in  this  wise  : 

"  '  The  Prince,  so  the  gossip  goes — is  resisting  the  King 
for  vile  ambition  and  for  nothing  else.  For  by  this  means  he 
thinks  to  make  himself  feared  so  that  he  may  acquire  cities 
and  overlordships  as  the  price  of  peace.  For  five  hundred 
thousand  florins  he  would  leave  in  the  lurch  all  the  brave 
nobles  who  have  come  out  to  fight  for  their  country.  And  it 
is  a  fact  that  the  Duke  has  offered  him  a  complete  amnesty, 
and  has  promised  to  restore  both  him  and  his  chief  officers 
in  their  possessions,  if  only  the  Prince  will  return  to  the 
obedience  of  the  King,  and  will  negotiate  with  him  alone.' 

"  But  they  that  remain  faithful  to  the  Prince  make  answer 
to  us  in  this  wise  : 

" '  By  no  means  will  William  have  aught  to  do  with  the 
proposals  of  the  Duke.  For  these  are  but  snares  and 
treachery.  For  the  Prince  must  surely  call  to  mind  what 
happened  to  d'Egmont  and  de  Hoorn.  And  it  is  well  known 
that  the  Cardinal  de  Granville  said  at  Rome,  when  the  two 
Counts  had  been  taken :  "  The  two  gudgeon,  verily,  have 
been  caught,  but  the  pike  has  been  allowed  to  escape."  For 
nothing  has  been  taken  while  William  still  remains  at 
large.' ' 

"  Is  the -camp  divided  in  twain  then  ?  "  asked  the  peasant. 

"  It  is,"  replied  the  two  men,  "  and  the  division  grows 
greater  every  day.  But  whom  are  those  letters  for  ?  " 

Whereupon  they  all  entered  into  the  cottage.  A  lantern 
was  lit  inside,  and  looking  through  a  crack  in  the  door  Ulen- 
spiegel  could  see  them  unsealing  two  letters.  These  they 
read  with  every  appearance  of  enjoyment,  and  then  they  all 
fell  to  drinking  honey-wine.  After  which  the  two  men  came 
out  of  the  cottage  and  said  to  the  peasant,  still  speaking  in 
Spanish : 

"  The  camp  split  in  two,  and  the  Prince  captured — that 
will  be  worth  a  dozen  glasses,  eh  ?  " 
198 


Words  of  Lead 

men,"  said  Ulenspiegel  to  himself,  "  cannot 
longer  be  allowed  to  live." 

But  even  now  they  were  disappearing  in  the  thick  mist, 
with  the  lantern  which  the  peasant  had  brought  for  them. 
The  light  of  the  lantern  shone  out  intermittently,  as  if  con- 
tinually intercepted  by  some  dark  body.  From  this  Ulen- 
spiegel concluded  that  the  two  men  must  be  walking  one 
behind  the  other. 

He  raised  his  arquebus  to  his  shoulder  and  fired.  Then 
he  saw  the  lantern  raised  and  lowered  several  times,  as  if 
the  man  who  carried  it  was  looking  at  his  fallen  comrade, 
trying  to  discover  where  he  had  been  hit  and  the  nature  of 
the  wound. 

Yet  again  did  Ulenspiegel  raise  his  arquebus,  and  then 
when  the  lantern  began  to  steady  itself  and  to  retreat  speedily 
towards  the  camp,  he  fired  again.  Now  the  lantern  swayed, 
fell  to  the  ground  and  went  out,  leaving  all  in  darkness. 

Ulenspiegel  ran  on  to  the  camp,  and  there  he  soon  en- 
countered the  provost  with  a  number  of  soldiers  who  had  been 
awakened  by  the  noise  of  the  firing.  Ulenspiegel  accosted 
them,  saying  :  "  I  am  the  huntsman.  Go  you  now  and  find 
the  game." 

"  Brave  Fleming,"  said  the  provost,  "  methinks  you  are 
a  man  that  knows  other  ways  of  talking  besides  with  your 
tongue." 

"  Words  of  the  tongue  they  are  but  so  much  wind," 
answered  Ulenspiegel.  "  But  words  of  lead — they  know  how 
to  find  for  themselves  a  lasting  habitation  in  the  carcass  of 
a  traitor  !  Come  then,  follow  me." 

And  so  saying  he  led  them  to  the  place  where  the  two  men 
had  fallen.  And  in  very  deed  the  soldiers  saw  by  the  light 
of  their  lanterns  two  bodies  stretched  out  on  the  ground. 
One  was  dead,  and  the  other  at  the  last  gasp,  holding  his 
hand  to  his  heart,  and  in  his  hand  a  letter  all  crumpled  in  the 
agony  of  death.  The  soldiers  lifted  the  two  bodies,  whose 

199 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

clothes  clearly  showed  them  to  be  the  bodies  of  gentlemen, 
and  straightway  carried  them,  still  by  the  light  of  their 
lanterns,  to  the  Prince. 

Now  William  was  about  to  hold  a  council  with  Frederick 
of  Hollenhausen,  the  Margrave  of  Hesse,  and  other  nobles. 
But  the  soldiers,  who  had  now  been  joined  by  a  company  of 
other  troopers  in  green  and  yellow  jackets,  stood  before  the 
tent,  demanding  with  shouts  and  cries  that  the  Prince  should 
give  them  audience. 

At  length  William  of  Orange  came  out  to  them,  and  the 
provost  began  to  clear  his  throat  and  make  other  pre- 
liminaries for  the  accusation  of  Ulenspiegel.  But  the  latter 
cut  in  before  him,  saying  : 

"  My  Lord,  I  had  thought  to  kill  two  crows,  but  I  have 
killed  two  traitors  in  their  stead — two  noblemen — belonging 
to  your  suite." 

Then  he  told  the  story  of  all  that  he  had  seen  and  heard 
and  done.  William  did  not  utter  a  word,  but  the  two  bodies 
were  carefully  examined  in  the  presence  of  Ulenspiegel 
himself  and  William  the  Silent,  together  with  Frederick  of 
Hollenhausen,  the  Margrave  of  Hesse,  Dietrich  of  Schoonen- 
bergh,  Count  Albert  of  Nassau,  the  Count  de  Hoogstraeten, 
and  Antoine  de  Lailang,  Governor  of  Malines.  And  the  soldiers 
stood  by,  with  Lamme  Goedzak,  his  great  belly  all  of  a 
tremble.  Sealed  letters  were  found  on  the  persons  of  the 
deceased  gentlemen,  which  had  been  sent  by  Granvelles 
and  Noircames,  and  engaged  the  recipients  to  sow  division 
in  the  Prince's  entourage,  and  by  that  means  to  diminish 
his  power  and  to  compel  him  to  yield,  so  that  he  might 
ultimately  be  delivered  up  to  the  Duke  and  beheaded  accord- 
ing to  his  deserts.  "  The  right  procedure  is,"  continued  the 
letter,  "  to  act  at  first  with  caution  and  to  use  allusive  phrases 
only,  so  that  the  army  may  be  led  to  think  that  the  Prince 
has  already  come  to  a  secret  understanding  with  the  Duke, 
for  his  own  advantage.  This  will  arouse  the  anger  of  his 
200 


captains  and  soldiers,  and  they  will  assuredly  take  him 
prisoner."  Now  as  a  reward  for  this  service  it  appeared  that 
notes  to  the  value  of  some  five  hundred  ducats  were  being 
sent  them  on  the  Fugger  Bank  at  Antwerp,  and  they  were 
promised  a  thousand  more  as  soon  as  the  four  hundred 
thousand  ducats  which  were  already  on  their  way  from  Spain 
had  arrived  in  Zeeland. 

The  whole  plot  having  been  now  unmasked,  the  Prince 
turned  in  silence  towards  the  gentlemen,  Lords,  and  soldiers 
who  stood  round  him.  Many  of  these  men  he  knew  to  be 
suspicious  of  him  already,  nevertheless,  he  pointed  at  the 
two  bodies  without  speaking  a  word,  intending  by  this 
gesture  to  reproach  them  for  their  mistrust.  And  at  this 
every  one  present  there  exclaimed  and  shouted  aloud  : 

"  Long  live  the  Prince  of  Orange !  The  Prince  is  faith- 
ful and  true ! "  And  such  was  their  anger  that  they  were 
desirous  to  throw  the  two  dead  bodies  to  the  dogs  ;  but 
William  forbade  them,  saying : 

"  It  is  not  these  two  poor  corpses  that  deserve  to  be 
thrown  to  the  dogs  so  much  as  that  littleness  of  mind  which 
must  needs  be  suspicious  of  the  purest  intentions." 

And  the  Lords  and  soldiers  cried  out  again : 

"  Long  live  the  Prince  !  Long  live  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
the  friend  of  our  country  !  " 

And  the  sound  of  their  voices  was  like  the  noise  of  thunder 
threatening  injustice.  And  the  Prince  pointed  to  the  two 
corpses  and  ordered  that  they  should  be  given  Christian 
burial. 

"  And  I,"  demanded  Ulenspiegel,  "  what  shall  be  done  to 
me,  faithful  and  true  ?  If  I  have  done  evil  let  me  be  beaten, 
but  if  good — why  then  let  me  be  suitably  rewarded  !  " 

Then  the  Prince  addressed  him,  saying : 

"  This  soldier  is  to  receive  fifty  strokes  from  the  green 
wood  in  my  presence  for  having  killed  two  gentlemen  without 
orders,  to  the  contempt  of  all  discipline.  At  the  same  time 

20 1 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

let  him  receive  a  reward  of  thirty  florins  for  having  used  his 
eyes  and  ears  to  some  purpose." 

"  My  Lord,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  give  me  the  thirty 
florins  first,  and  I  shall  then  be  able  to  support  my  beating 
with  equanimity." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  murmured  Lamme  Goedzak,  "  give  him  the 
thirty  florins  first,  and  then  he  will  bear  the  rest  with 
equanimity." 

"  One  thing  more,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  since  my  soul  is 
admittedly  free  from  fault,  is  there  any  real  reason  why  I 
must  be  cleansed  with  the  wood  of  the  oak  or  washed  with  the 
branch  of  the  cherry-tree  ?  " 

"  No,"  murmured  Lamme  again,  "  Ulenspiegel  surely  has 
no  need  to  be  washed  or  cleansed.  For  his  soul  is  without 
stain.  Do  not  wash  it,  my  masters,  do  not  wash  it." 

But  when  Ulenspiegel  had  received  the  thirty  florins  the 
provost  ordered  him  to  give  himself  up  to  the  Stock-me  ester. 

"  Behold,  my  Lords,"  said  Lamme,  "  behold  how  piteous 
he  looks.  There's  no  love  lost  between  the  hard  wood  and 
him — my  beloved  Ulenspiegel." 

But  Ulenspiegel  answered  : 

"  Of  a  truth  I  love  a  fine  ash-tree  in  full  leaf,  growing  up 
towards  the  sun  in  all  its  native  verdure,  but  I  agree  I  loathe 
like  poison  these  heavy  cudgels  of  wood  with  their  sap  still 
oozing  out  of  them,  stripped  of  their  branches  and  without 
any  leaves  or  twigs  growing  thereon,  for  they  are  rough  to 
look  upon  and  hard  to  feel." 

"  Are  you  ready  ?  "  demanded  the  provost. 

"  Ready  ?  "  Ulenspiegel  repeated.  "  Ready  for  what  ? 
Ready  to  be  flogged  do  you  mean  ?  No,  I  cannot,  nor  will  I, 
be  flogged  by  you,  Mr.  Stock-meester.  You  have  a  red  beard 
certainly,  and  your  appearance  is  formidable.  Nevertheless, 
I  am  sure  that  you  have  a  kind  heart  and  would  have  no 
desire  to  thrash  a  poor  fellow  like  me.  And  now  to  tell  you 
the  truth  I  should  be  loath  to  do  such  a  thing  myself,  much 
202 


Tyl  delivered  from  the  Green 

less  to  see  any  one  else  do  it.  For  the  back  of  a  Christian 
is  a  sacred  thing,  as  sacred  as  his  breast  which  holds  the 
lungs,  those  trusty  organs  whereby  we  breathe  the  goodly 
air  of  God.  And  think  how  bitter  would  be  your  remorse 
if  a  too  brutal  blow  from  your  cudgel  should  chance  to  break 
me  in  pieces  !  " 

"  Make  haste,"  said  the  Stock-me ester. 

"  My  Lord,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  addressing  himself  to  the 
Prince,  "  believe  me,  there  is  no  need  for  all  this  hurry.  First 
of  all  the  wood  of  the  cudgel  ought  to  be  allowed  to  dry.  For 
I  have  heard  that  wood  while  still  green  is  like  to  communicate 
a  mortal  poison  to  any  flesh  with  which  it  comes  in  contact. 
Would  your  Highness  desire  to  see  me  die  such  an  ugly  death  ? 
My  Lord,  my  back  I  hold  most  pitifully  at  your  service. 
Have  it  flogged,  if  you  must,  with  rods  and  lashed  with 
whips.  But  unless  you  wish  to  see  me  dead,  spare  me,  I 
pray  you,  from  the  wood  while  it  is  still  green." 

"  Have  mercy  on  him,  Prince,"  cried  my  Lords  of  Hoog- 
straeten  and  of  Schoonenbergh  both  together  ;  while  the 
others  all  began  to  smile  compassionately.  Lamme  also 
put  in  a  word  of  his  own,  "  Have  mercy,  my  Lord.  Green 
wood  is  poison,  neither  more  nor  less  than  rank  poison  !  " 

The  Prince  said  : 

"  Very  well." 

Thereupon  Ulenspiegel  leapt  in  the  air  again  and  again, 
and  smote  Lamme  on  his  belly  and  compelled  him  to  dance 
too,  saying :  "  Join  me  now  in  praising  the  good  Duke  who 
has  delivered  me  from  the  green  wood." 

And  Lamme  did  his  best  to  dance,  but  could  not  very  well 
because  of  his  belly.  And  Ulenspiegel  gave  him  to  eat  and 
to  drink  as  much  as  he  was  able. 


203 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 


XVI 

It  was  now  at  the  end  of  October.  The  Prince  was  in  want 
of  money,  and  his  army  of  food.  The  soldiers  too  began  to 
murmur,  and  he  marched  them  towards  the  French  frontier 
to  offer  battle  to  the  Duke.  But  the  Duke  would  not  fight. 

Leaving  Quesnoy-le-Comte  to  go  to  Cambresis,  the  Prince's 
army  fell  in  with  ten  companies  of  Germans  and  eight 
Spanish  ensigns  and  three  cohorts  of  cavalry.  They  at  once 
joined  battle,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  m&Ue  was  Ruffele 
Henricis,  the  Duke's  son,  crying  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice  : 

"  No  quarter  !     No  quarter !     Long  live  the  Pope ! " 

Now  Don  Henricis  found  himself  opposite  to  a  company 
of  arquebusiers  which  was  led  by  Ulenspiegel,  and  he  threw 
himself  upon  them  with  all  his  men.  Ulenspiegel  said  to 
his  sergeant : 

"  I  will  cut  out  this  murderer's  tongue  for  him  !  " 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  sergeant. 

And  Ulenspiegel  took  careful  aim,  and  his  bullet  shattered 
the  tongue  and  the  entire  jaw-bone  of  Don  Ruffele  Henricis, 
son  of  the  Duke.  At  the  same  time  Ulenspiegel  brought  down 
the  son  of  the  Marquess  Delmares,  and  in  a  little  while  more 
the  eight  ensigns  and  the  three  cohorts  of  cavalry  were 
thoroughly  worsted. 

After  this  victory  Ulenspiegel  went  seeking  for  Lamme 
everywhere  through  the  camp,  but  he  could  not  find  him. 

"  Alas,"  he  said,  "  he  is  gone !  Lamme  is  gone ;  my  friend, 
my  great  fat  friend !  In  his  warlike  ardour  he  must  have 
forgotten  how  heavy  his  belly  was,  and  tried  to  follow  the 
Spaniards  in  their  flight.  Out  of  breath  he  must  have  fallen 
like  a  sack  on  the  wayside.  And  then  the  enemy  will  have 
picked  him  up  for  ransom — a  ransom  of  good  Christian 
fat !  O  Lamme,  my  friend,  where  are  you  ?  Where  are  you, 
my  great  fat  friend  ?  " 
204 


Tyl  is  sent  on  a  Mission 

Ulenspiegel  sought  him  everywhere  but  found  him  not 
and  had  to  nurse  his  grief  in  silence. 

And  now  November  was  come,  the  month  of  snow-storms, 
and  Ulenspiegel,  having  been  ordered  to  report  himself 
before  William,  found  the  Prince  brooding  in  silence,  and 
biting  the  lacings  of  his  coat  of  mail. 

"  Listen  to  me,"  the  Prince  said  presently,  "  and  give  me 
your  whole  attention." 

Ulenspiegel  answered :  "  My  ears  are  like  the  gates  of  a 
prison.  One  enters  easily  but  to  get  out  again  is  a  different 
matter." 

"  Very  good,"  said  William,  "  but  now  I  would  have  you 
go  for  me  to  Namur,  and  to  Flanders,  Hainaut,  Sud-Brabant, 
Antwerp,  Nord-Brabant,  and  to  Gueldre,  Overyssel,  and  the 
North  of  Holland,  telling  the  people  everywhere  that,  although 
it  seems  that  the  fates  on  land  are  hostile  to  our  most  Holy 
and  Christian  Cause,  we  will  yet  continue  the  struggle  by 
sea,  no  matter  what  the  evil  powers  that  are  arrayed  against 
us.  For  God  holds  the  issue  in  His  own  good  providence, 
whether  in  success  or  failure.  And  when  you  are  come  to 
Amsterdam  you  will  render  an  account  of  all  that  you  have 
done  to  Paul  Bruys  who  is  my  trusty  vassal.  Here  are  three 
passports,  signed  by  the  Duke  of  Alba  himself,  which  were 
found  on  certain  bodies  of  the  dead  at  Quesnoy-le-Comte.  My 
secretary  has  filled  them  in  afresh.  And  it  may  be  that  on 
your  journey  you  will  meet  some  good  companion  in  whom 
you  can  trust.  Let  him  go  with  you.  And  those  are  to  be 
accounted  trustworthy  who  know  how  to  answer  the  song  of 
the  lark  with  a  warlike  cockcrow.  Here  are  fifty  florins. 
Be  valiant  and  faithful." 

"  The  ashes  of  Claes  beat  upon  my  heart,"  answered 
Ulenspiegel. 

And  he  went  his  way. 


205 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 


XVII 

Now  the  passports  were  countersigned  both  by  the  King 
and  the  Duke,  and  they  authorized  the  bearer  to  carry  any 
kind  of  arms  at  his  convenience.  So  Ulenspiegel  took  with 
him  his  trusty  arquebus  as  well  as  a  good  supply  of  cartridges 
and  dry  gunpowder.  He  dressed  himself  in  a  short  cloak 
and  a  shabby  doublet  and  hose  made  after  the  Spanish 
fashion,  and  thus  accoutred,  with  a  plumed  cap  on  his  head 
and  a  sword  at  his  side,  he  made  his  departure  from  the 
Prince's  army  where  it  lay  at  the  French  frontier,  and  set 
out  for  Maestricht. 

The  roitelets,  those  heralds  of  bad  weather,  were  flying 
around  the  houses  seeking  asile  from  the  storm,  and  on  the 
third  day  snow  fell.  Many  times  during  the  journey  did 
Ulenspiegel  have  to  show  his  safe-conduct.  But  they  always 
let  him  pass,  and  so  he  came  at  length  to  the  confines  of 
Liege.  He  was  plodding  along  over  a  level  heath,  and  a 
fierce  wind  was  driving  the  swirling  snowflakes  against  his 
face,  and  in  front  and  on  every  side  the  heath  stretched  out 
all  white  under  the  snow  that  fell  in  eddies,  which  themselves 
were  whirled  about  hither  and  thither  in  the  squalls  of  wind. 
And  there  were  three  wolves  that  began  to  follow  him.  But 
one  of  them  he  killed  with  a  shot  from  his  arquebus,  and  the 
other  two  flung  themselves  upon  their  wounded  comrade,  and 
then  made  off  into  the  woods,  each  carrying  a  piece  of  the 
corpse. 

Delivered  from  this  peril,  Ulenspiegel  peered  about  him, 
fearing  lest  there  might  be  other  bands  of  wolves  in  that 
country,  but  he  saw  nothing  except,  in  the  far  distance, 
certain  objects  that  looked  like  grey  statues  moving  slowly 
along  in  the  falling  snow.  Behind  these  again,  Ulenspiegel 
could  descry  the  dark  figures  of  a  couple  of  soldiers  on  horse- 
back. To  see  the  better  what  all  this  might  portend,  Ulen- 
206 


Ail  Adventure  in  the  Snow 

spiegel  climbed  up  into  a  tree,  and  there  the  wind  brought 
to  him  a  far-off  sound  of  lamentation.  "  It  may  be,"  Ulen- 
spiegel  said  to  himself,  "  these  people  are  pilgrims,  clad  in 
white  habits  ;  for  I  can  scarcely  distinguish  their  figures 
against  the  snow."  But  after  a  little  while  he  saw  that  they 
were  men  running,  quite  naked,  and  that  behind  them  were 
two  German  troopers  in  black  uniforms  riding  on  horses. 
And  they  were  driving  the  poor  wretches  in  front  of  them 
with  whips.  Ulenspiegel  took  aim  with  his  arquebus.  Now 
he  could  distinguish  the  individual  figures  of  that  mournful 
company — old  men  and  young  men  naked,  shivering,  and 
quaking  with  cold,  hardly  able  to  stand  some  of  them,  but 
running  all,  for  fear  of  the  cruel  whips  of  the  two  soldiers  who, 
themselves  being  warmly  clad  and  red  with  brandy  and  good 
food,  took  pleasure  in  lashing  the  bodies  of  naked  men  to 
make  them  run  the  faster. 

Ulenspiegel  said :  "  You  shall  be  avenged,  ashes  of 
Claes  !  "  And  he  killed  one  of  the  soldiers  outright  with  a 
bullet  from  his  arquebus.  The  soldier  fell  from  his  horse, 
and  his  companion  took  fright,  not  knowing  whence  the 
shot  had  come.  But  concluding  that  his  assailant  must  be 
hiding  somewhere  in  the  wood,  he  decided  to  make  good  his 
escape,  together  with  the  horse  of  his  dead  companion.  The 
man  contrived  to  get  hold  of  the  horse's  bridle,  but  while  he 
himself  was  dismounting  to  plunder  the  body  of  the  dead,  he 
was  hit  by  a  bullet  in  the  neck  and  fell  to  the  ground. 

As  for  the  naked  prisoners,  they  imagined  that  some 
angel  from  heaven,  who  was  also  forsooth  a  fine  marksman, 
had  descended  from  the  sky  to  aid  them,  and  they  all  fell 
down  upon  their  knees  in  the  snow.  At  this  Ulenspiegel 
descended  from  his  tree,  and  was  at  once  recognized  by  the 
company  who  had  previously  served  with  him  as  soldiers 
in  the  armies  of  the  Prince.  They  said  to  him  : 

"  O  Ulenspiegel,  we  are  come  from  France,  and  we  were 
being  driven  in  this  piteous  plight  to  Maestricht,  where  the 

207 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Duke  is,  to  be  treated  there  as  rebel  prisoners  because  we 
cannot  pay  our  ransom,  and  are  therefore  condemned  in 
advance  to  be  tortured,  cut  into  pieces,  or  sent  to  row  like 
caitiffs  and  criminals  in  the  galleys  of  the  King." 

Ulenspiegel  gave  his  opperst-kleed  to  the  oldest  of  the 
soldiers,  saying  : 

"  Come  with  me,  my  friends.  I  will  accompany  you  as 
far  as  Mezieres  ;  but  first  of  all  let  us  strip  these  two  dead 
soldiers  and  take  possession  of  their  horses."  Thereupon  the 
doublets,  hose,  boots,  head-gear,  and  body-armour  of  the 
soldiers  were  divided  up  among  the  sick  and  feeble,  and 
Ulenspiegel  said  : 

"  We  shall  soon  be  entering  the  wood,  where  the  air  is 
thicker  and  more  gentle.  You  had  better  run,  my  brothers." 

Suddenly  one  of  the  men  fell  down  on  the  ground,  crying  : 
"  I  am  hungry  and  cold,  and  I  am  going  to  God  to  bear  witness 
that  the  Pope  is  Antichrist  on  earth."  And  he  died,  and 
the  others  agreed  to  carry  the  body  with  them  that  it  might 
be  given  Christian  burial. 

While  thus  proceeding  along  the  road,  they  met  a  peasant 
driving  a  cart  with  a  canvas  hood.  Seeing  the  men  all 
naked,  the  peasant  had  compassion  on  them  and  invited 
them  to  ride  in  his  cart.  There  they  found  some  hay  to 
lie  on,  and  some  empty  sacks  to  cover  them  withal.  And 
they  were  warmed  and  gave  thanks  to  God.  Ulenspiegel 
rode  beside  the  cart  on  one  of  the  two  horses  that  had 
belonged  to  the  German  troopers,  leading  the  other  by  the 
bridle. 

At  Mezi&res  they  all  alighted.  Good  hot  soup  and  beer 
and  bread  and  cheese  were  handed  round,  with  some  meat 
for  the  older  men  and  women.  And  they  were  nobly  enter- 
tained ;  and  they  were  clothed  and  armed  again,  all  at  the 
expense  of  the  commune.  And  every  one  joined  in  giving 
thanks  and  praise  to  Ulenspiegel,  who  received  it  gladly. 
Ulenspiegel  also  sold  the  horses  of  the  German  troopers  for 
208 


Lamme  at  Namur 

eight-and-forty  florins,  out  of  which  he  distributed  thirty 
florins  among  the  Frenchmen. 

Thereafter  he  took  the  road  again,  and  as  he  walked 
solitarily  along  he  said  to  himself : 

"  Verily  now  do  I  wander  through  a  land  of  ruin,  blood, 
and  tears.  Nevertheless,  I  find  nothing.  Those  spirits  lied 
to  me  without  a  doubt.  For  where  is  Lamme  ?  Where  is 
Nele  !  Where  are  the  Seven  ?  " 

And  he  heard  a  voice  speaking  to  him  as  though  in  a 
whisper  : 

"  In  death,  in  ruin,  and  in  tears,  seek  !  " 

And  he  went  his  way. 

XVIII 

It  was  the  month  of  March  when  Ulenspiegel  came  to 
Namur.  There  he  found  Lamme,  who,  having  conceived  a 
violent  passion  for  the  fish  of  the  Meuse,  and  for  the  trout 
especially,  had  hired  a  boat  and  spent  all  day  fishing  in  the 
river  by  permission  of  the  commune.  But  for  this  privilege 
he  had  been  obliged  to  pay  the  sum  of  fifty  florins  to  the 
Guild  of  the  Fishmongers. 

Some  of  his  fish  he  sold.  But  the  rest  he  ate  himself, 
and  by  this  means  he  gained  a  finer  belly  than  ever,  and  a 
small  sack  of  money.  When  he  saw  his  friend  and  comrade 
walking  along  the  banks  of  the  Meuse  and  about  to  enter 
the  town,  Lamme  was  mightily  rejoiced  and  pushed  his  boat 
to  the  shore,  and  there  springing  on  to  the  bank  rushed  up  to 
Ulenspiegel,  blowing  and  puffing  and  stammering  for  joy. 

"  Here  you  are,"  he  cried,  "  here  you  are  at  last,  my  son. 
And  where  are  you  off  to  ?  What  are  you  after  ?  You  are 
not  dead,  then  ?  And  have  you  seen  my  wife  ?  You'll 
feed  off  the  fish  of  the  Meuse,  which  are  the  best  to  be  found 
anywhere  on  this  base  earth !  And  let  me  tell  you  some- 
thing. The  people  here  make  such  sauces  as  will  tempt  you 
to  dip  your  fingers  into  the  dish  right  up  to  your  shoulder  ! 

o  209 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Ah,  but  how  proud  and  splendid  you  look  !  On  your  cheeks 
is  the  very  bloom  of  battle.  And  here  you  are  !  It's  you, 
it's  really  you,  my  son !  My  Ulenspiegel !  You  jolly 
vagabond  !  "  Then  in  a  lower  tone  of  voice  he  added  : 

"  And  how  many  Spaniards  have  you  killed  ?  You  have 
not  seen  my  wife  by  any  chance,  in  the  carts  with  those  other 
hussies  ?  Ah,  but  the  wine  of  the  Meuse  !  You  must  taste 
it.  And  have  you  been  wounded,  my  son  ?  You  must  rest 
here  a  while,  so  fresh  and  cheery  as  you  are,  and  vigilant  as  a 
young  eagle.  But  our  eels  !  You  must  taste  our  eels.  No 
muddy  taste  about  them  \  Come,  kiss  me,  my  second  self  ! 
Praise  be  to  God  !  How  glad  I  am  !  " 

And  Lamme  danced  and  leapt  in  the  air,  puffing  and  blow- 
ing and  compelling  Ulenspiegel  to  dance  too. 

Thereafter  they  walked  towards  Namur.  At  the  gate  of 
the  city  Ulenspiegel  showed  his  passport  signed  by  the  Duke. 
And  Lamme  conducted  him  to  his  house.  While  their 
repast  was  being  prepared  he  made  Ulenspiegel  tell  him  all 
his  adventures  and  then  recounted  his  own,  telling  how  he 
had  left  the  army  to  follow  a  girl  whom  he  thought  was  his 
wife.  It  was  in  pursuit  of  her,  it  seemed,  that  he  had  come 
at  last  to  Namur.  And  he  kept  on  asking  Ulenspiegel : 

"  Are  you  sure  you  have  not  seen  her  anywhere  ?  " 

"  I  have  seen  many  other  beautiful  women,"  answered 
Ulenspiegel,  "  and  in  this  town  especially,  where  it  seems 
they  are  all  most  amorous.  .  .  ." 

"  It  is  so,"  said  Lamme,  "  nevertheless  I  have  remained 
faithful.  For  my  sad  heart  is  heavy  with  but  a  single 
recollection." 

"  Even  as  your  belly  is  heavy  with  countless  platter- 
fuls  !  "  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  When  I  am  unhappy  I  have   to  eat,"  Lamme  replied. 

"  Your  unhappiness  knows  no  end  ?  "  demanded  Ulen- 
spiegel. 

"  Alas,  no  !  "  said  Lamme. 
210 


Katheline  a?^cl  Nele  at  Damme 

And  helping  himself  to  another  trout : 

"  Look,"  he  cried,  "  look  how  lovely  and  firm  he  is. 
This  flesh  is  as  pink  as  the  flesh  of  my  wife.  But  to-morrow 
we  will  leave  Namur.  I  have  a  purseful  of  florins,  and  we 
will  buy  a  donkey  for  each  of  us,  and  so  we  will  go  riding  away 
to  the  land  of  Flanders  !  " 

"  You  will  be  giving  up  a  great  deal,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Lamme.  "  My  heart  draws  me  back 
to  Damme.  For  it  was  there  that  my  love  loved  me  well. 
And  it  may  be  that  she  also  has  returned  thither." 

"  We  will  set  out  to-morrow,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  since 
such  is  your  desire." 

And  in  fact  they  set  forth  as  Lamme  had  said,  each  on  a 
donkey ;  and  so  they  rode  along  side  by  side. 

XIX 

Nele  all  this  time  was  living  at  Damme,  sorrowful  and 
alone,  with  Katheline,  who  still  continued  to  call  amorously 
for  her  cold  devil  who  never  came. 

"  Ah  !  "  she  would  say,  "  you  are  rich,  Hanske  my  pet ;  and 
you  could  easily  give  me  back  those  seven  hundred  caroluses. 
Then  Soetkin  would  live  again  and  come  to  earth  once  more, 
and  Claes  in  heaven  would  laugh  for  joy.  Easily  could  you 
do  this,  and  you  would  !  Put  out  the  fire  !  My  soul  wants  to 
get  out ! " 

And  with  her  finger  she  would  point  without  ceasing  to 
the  place  on  her  head  where  the  flaming  tow  had  burned 
her. 

Katheline  was  very  impoverished,  but  the  neighbours 
helped  her  by  sending  in  beans  and  bread  and  meat,  according 
as  they  were  able.  The  commune  also  gave  her  a  certain 
amount  of  money,  and  Nele  did  sewing  for  the  wealthy 
bourgeois,  and  went  to  their  houses  to  mend  their  linen, 
earning  in  this  way  a  florin  or  two  every  week.  But  Kathe- 
line kept  on  with  her  eternal  "  Make  a  hole !  Let  out  my  soul ! 

211 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

She  is  knocking  to  be  let  out !     And  he  will  give  me  back  the 
seven  hundred  caroluses !  " 
And  Nele  wept  to  hear  her. 

XX 

In  the  meantime  Ulenspiegel  and  Lamme  continued  their 
wanderings.  Under  the  protection  of  their  passports,  they 
entered  one  day  into  a  little  tavern  built  against  the  rocks  of 
the  Sambre,  the  which  rocks  are  covered  with  trees  here  and 
there,  and  on  the  sign  of  the  tavern  was  written  mine  host's 
name — MARLAIRE.  When  they  had  drunk  many  a  flask  of 
wine — wine  of  the  Meuse,  rather  like  Burgundy — and  when 
they  had  eaten  a  large  plate  of  fish,  they  fell  talking  to  the 
innkeeper,  who  was  a  keen  Papist  but  as  talkative  as  he  was 
pious  because  of  the  wine  he  had  been  drinking.  And  he 
kept  on  winking  his  eye  maliciously.  Ulenspiegel  had  a 
suspicion  that  all  this  winking  portended  something  mys- 
terious, and  he  made  the  fellow  drink  yet  more,  with  the 
result  that  he  fell  to  dancing  and  shouting  with  laughter, 
till  at  last  he  sat  himself  down  at  the  table  again,  and, 
"  Good  Catholics,"  says  he,  "  I  drink  to  you." 

"  And  to  you  we  drink  also,"  answered  Lamme  and 
Ulenspiegel. 

"  And  I  drink  to  the  extinction  of  all  heresy  and  re- 
bellion." 

"  We  will  join  you  in  that  toast,"  answered  Lamme  and 
Ulenspiegel,  who  kept  on  filling  up  the  goblets  which  mine 
host  could  never  suffer  to  remain  full. 

"  You  are  good  fellows,"  said  the  innkeeper.  "  Let  me 
drink  to  the  health  of  your  noble  Generosities.  For  you  must 
know  that  I  derive  some  profit  from  all  the  wine  that  is  drunk 
here.  But  where  are  your  passports  ?  " 

"  Here  they  are,"  replied  Ulenspiegel. 

"  With  the  Duke's  signature  and  all,"  said  the  innkeeper. 
"  Here's  a  health  to  the  Duke." 
212 


The  Discreet  Innkeeper 

"  To  the  Duke,"  echoed  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel.  And 
mine  host  went  on  talking  : 

"  Answer  me  now,  do  you  know  what  it  is  that  they  catch 
rats  and  mice  in  ?  Why  in  rat-traps  to  be  sure,  and  mouse- 
traps. Who  is  the  mouse  then  ?  The  great  heretic  of  Orange 
— and  orange  he  is  in  very  truth,  like  the  flames  of  hell !  But 
God  is  on  our  side.  They  will  come.  Ho  ho  !  A  toast ! 
Pour  out  the  wine  ;  I  bake  and  burn  with  thirst.  Come, 
drink,  my  masters.  Fine  little  Protestant  evangelists  ...  I 
said  little.  Fine  valiant  little  fellows  they  are,  and  brave 
soldiers,  sturdy  as  oaks  ...  I  drink  to  them !  Are  you  not 
going  with  them  to  the  camp  of  the  great  heretic  ?  I  have 
certain  passports  signed  by  him.  .  .  .  You  will  see." 

"  We  are  going  to  the  camp,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Yes,  they  will  do  their  work  well.  And  one  fine  night, 
if  the  opportunity  presents  itself" — and  here  the  innkeeper 
whistled,  and  made  a  gesture  as  of  one  man  cutting  another's 
throat — "  cold  steel,  I  tell  you.  It's  that  that  shall  prevent 
the  black  bird  of  Nassau  from  singing  any  more.  Come, 
drink  again." 

"  You're  a  gay  fellow,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  in  spite  of 
being  married." 

The  innkeeper  said  : 

"  I  am  neither  married  nor  have  I  ever  been.  The 
secrets  of  Princes  are  safe  with  me.  Drink  !  But  if  I 
had  a  wife  she  would  steal  my  secrets  from  under  my  pillow 
to  get  me  hanged  and  herself  made  widow  before  the  time. 
Long  live  God  !  They  will  come.  .  .  .  But  where  are  the 
new  passports  ?  On  my  heart  of  a  Christian.  Drink ! 
They  are  there,  there  I  tell  you.  One  hundred  paces  along 
the  road  near  by  Marche-les-Dames.  Do  you  see  them  ? 
Drink  again  !  " 

"  Drink  ?  "  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  Yes,  I  drink  and  drink  and 
drink.  To  the  King,  to  the  Duke,  to  the  Protestant  preachers, 
and  to  Vent  deader — Wind  of  Lead.  And  I  drink  to  thee  and 

213 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

to  me,  to  the  wine  and  the  bottle  that  holds  it.     But  why  ? 
It  is  you  that  have  stopped  drinking  !  " 

And  at  each  new  toast  Ulenspiegel  filled  up  the  glass  of 
the  innkeeper,  who  emptied  it  straightway. 

Ulenspiegel  looked  at  him  for  some  time,  then  rose  and 
said  to  Lamme :  "  Come,  Lamme,  it  is  time  for  us  to  be  off. 
He  is  asleep."  But  when  they  were  outside,  "  He  has  no  wife," 
Ulenspiegel  continued.  "  We  are  safe.  The  night  is  at 
hand.  Did  you  hear  what  the  rascal  said  ?  And  do  you 
rightly  understand  who  these  three  preachers  are  ?  Do  you 
realize  that  they  are  to  come  along  the  bank  of  the  Meuse 
from  Marche-les-Dames,  and  that  it  will  be  our  part  to  await 
them  on  the  road  ?  And  then  for  Vent  tfacier — Wind  of  Lead 
— to  start  his  whistling  ?  " 
"  Yes,"  said  Lamme. 

"  It  is  for  us  to  save  the  Prince's  life,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 
"  Yes,"  said  Lamme. 

"  Wait,"   said   Ulenspiegel.     "  You   take   my   arquebus, 
and  go  and  hide  in  the  undergrowth  among  the  rocks.     Load 
it  with  two  shots,  and  shoot  when  you  hear  me  caw  and  crow." 
"  I  will,"  said  Lamme. 

And  so  saying  he  disappeared  into  the  undergrowth. 
And  Ulenspiegel  could  hear  quite  clearly  the  click  of  the  gun 
as  Lamme  loaded  it. 

"  Do  you  see  them  coming  ?  "  he  asked  presently. 
"  I  see  them,"  answered  Lamme.     "  There  are  three  of 
them,  marching  together  like  soldiers,  and  one  of  them  is 
much  taller  than  the  others." 

Ulenspiegel  sat  himself  down  by  the  side  of  the  road,  with 
his  legs  stretched  out  in  front  of  him,  muttering  his  prayers 
on  a  rosary,  just  like  beggars  do.  And  he  held  his  hat 
between  his  knees.  And  when  the  three  evangelists  passed 
in  front  of  him,  he  held  out  his  hat  as  though  asking  for  alms  ; 
but  they  gave  him  nothing.  Then  Ulenspiegel  got  up  and 
addressed  them  most  piteously  : 
214 


The  Three  Evangelists 

"  Kind  sirs,"  he  said,  "  do  not  refuse  a  patard  to  a  poor 
quarryman  who  has  recently  had  an  accident  and  broken  his 
back  by  falling  down  a  mine.  The  people  in  this  part  of  the 
world  are  hard  of  heart,  and  they  have  not  been  willing  to  give 
me  anything  to  relieve  my  distress.  Alas  !  Give  me  but 
a  patard,  and  I  will  say  many  prayers  for  you.  And  God  will 
keep  you  happy,  all  your  lives  long,  kind  friends  !  " 

"  My  son,"  said  one  of  the  evangelists,  "  there  can  be  no 
happiness  for  us  in  this  world  so  long  as  the  Pope  and  the 
Inquisition  remain  in  power." 

Ulenspiegel  heaved  another  sigh  : 

"  Alas  !  What  are  you  saying,  my  lords  ?  Do  not  speak 
so  loud,  if  it  please  you.  But  give  me  a  patard" 

"  My  son,"  replied  one  of  the  evangelists,  he  that  was  the 
smallest  of  the  three,  and  of  a  very  warlike  countenance, 
"  we  poor  martyrs  carry  no  patards  save  only  just  enough  to 
keep  us  going  on  our  journey." 

At  this  Ulenspiegel  threw  himself  on  to  his  knees  in  front 
of  them. 

"  Give  me  your  blessing  then,"  he  said. 

The  three  evangelists  laid  their  hands  upon  the  head  of 
Ulenspiegel,  albeit  with  little  signs  of  devotion. 

Now  Ulenspiegel  noticed  that  although  they  were  lean 
of  figure,  these  men  all  had  very  fat  stomachs,  so  he  rose  from 
his  knees,  and  then  pretended  to  stumble,  knocking  against 
the  body  of  the  tall  evangelist  as  he  did  so.  At  that  a  merry 
tinkle  of  coin  was  distinctly  audible.  Thereupon  Ulenspiegel 
raised  himself  to  his  full  height  and  drew  his  dagger. 

"  My  good  man,"  he  said,  "  it  is  cold  and  I  am  but  poorly 
clad  ;  but  methinks  you  have  too  much  about  you.  Give 
me  some  of  your  wool,  that  I  may  get  a  cloak  made  for  me.  I 
am  a  Beggarman.  Long  live  the  Beggarmen  ! "  The  tall 
evangelist  made  answer  : 

"  You  cock  of  a  Beggarman,  you  carry  your  crest  proudly 
forsooth,  and  we  are  going  to  cut  it  off  for  you  !  " 

215 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Cut  it  off  then,"  cried  Ulenspiegel,  giving  ground, 
"  but  let  me  warn  you  that  trusty  Wind  of  Lead  is  going  to 
sing  for  you  or  ever  he  sings  for  the  Prince  my  master  ! 
Beggar  I  am  !  Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !  " 

The  three  evangelists  were  astounded  and  cried  out 
to  each  other  :  "  How  does  he  know  ?  We  are  betrayed  ! 
Kill  him  !  Long  live  the  Mass  !  "  And  each  man  drew  forth 
from  beneath  his  hose  a  sharp  dagger.  But  Ulenspiegel, 
without  waiting  for  them  to  attack  him,  gave  ground  towards 
the  bushes  where  Lamme  was  hidden,  and  when  he  judged 
that  the  three  evangelists  were  within  range  of  the  arquebus, 
he  cried  out :  "  Crows,  black  crows,  the  Wind  of  Lead  is 
going  to  whistle.  I  sing  your  bitter  end  !  " 

Then  he  cawed  like  a  crow.  And  a  shot  rang  out  from  the 
bushes,  and  the  tall  evangelist  fell  prone  on  the  earth.  The 
next  moment  followed  a  second  shot,  which  accounted  in 
the  same  way  for  the  second. 

And  from  among  the  bushes  Ulenspiegel  saw  the  jolly 
face  of  Lamme,  and  his  arm  raised  as  he  hastily  reloaded  his 
arquebus.  And  from  the  midst  of  the  dark  shrubbery  a  puff 
of  blue  smoke  mounted  into  the  air. 

There  now  remained  but  one  evangelist,  and  he  was  in  a 
furious  rage,  and  tried  to  cut  at  Ulenspiegel  with  all  his 
might.  But  Ulenspiegel  cried  : 

"  Wind  of  Steel  or  Wind  of  Lead,  which  matters  it  ?  Either 
way  you  shall  quit  this  world  for  another,  you  shameless 
murderer  ! " 

And  he  attacked  the  foe  and  defended  himself  most 
bravely.  So  they  stood  on  the  roadway,  inflexible,  face  to 
face,  giving  and  parrying  blows.  Now  Ulenspiegel  was 
covered  with  blood,  for  his  opponent  was  an  experienced 
fencer,  and  had  wounded  him  on  the  hands  and  on  the  legs. 
But  Ulenspiegel  attacked  and  defended  himself  like  a  lion. 
Still  the  blood  which  began  to  flow  from  his  head  blinded 
him,  and  he  retreated  continually,  trying  to  wipe  away  the 
216 


blood  with  his  left  hand  but  every  moment  feeling  weaker. 
And  he  would  most  certainly  have  been  killed  had  not  Lamme 
brought  down  the  third  evangelist  with  another  shot  from 
his  arquebus. 

And  Ulenspiegel  saw  him  fall,  and  heard  him  vomit  forth 
blasphemies  and  blood,  and  the  white  froth  of  death.  And 
once  again  the  blue  smoke  drifted  up  above  the  dark 
shrubbery,  in  the  midst  of  which  Lamme  displayed  yet  again 
his  jolly  face. 

"  Have  you  finished  him  off  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  my  son,"  replied  Ulenspiegel,  "  but  come.  .  .  ." 

Lamme,  then,  coming  out  of  his  hiding-place,  saw  Ulen- 
spiegel all  covered  with  blood.  He  ran  like  a  stag,  in  spite  of 
his  fat  belly,  and  came  to  Ulenspiegel  where  he  sat  by  the 
three  dead  men. 

"  He  is  wounded  !  "  Lamme  cried.  "  My  gentle  friend  is 
wounded  by  the  rascally  murderer."  And  then,  with  a 
vicious  kick  at  the  jaw  of  the  evangelist  who  lay  nearest  to 
him  :  "  You  cannot  answer  me,  Ulenspiegel  ?  Are  you  going 
to  die,  my  son  ?  Where  is  the  ointment !  Ha  !  I  remember 
now.  It  is  at  the  bottom  of  his  satchel  under  the  sausages. 
Can't  you  hear  me  speak,  Ulenspiegel  ?  Alas !  there  is  no  warm 
water  here  to  wash  your  wound,  and  no  way  of  getting  any. 
The  water  of  the  Sambre  will  have  to  do  instead.  But  speak 
to  me,  my  friend.  You  are  not  so  badly  hurt  after  all,  surely. 
A  little  water — there,  it's  cold,  isn't  it  ?  But  he  is  waking  up. 
It's  I,  your  friend  ;  and  your  enemies  are  all  dead  !  Oh, 
where  is  some  linen  ?  Some  linen  to  bind  up  his  wounds. 
There  isn't  any.  What  am  I  to  do  ?  Ah !  my  shirt,  that 
must  serve." 

Presently  Ulenspiegel  opened  his  eyes  and  raised  himself 
from  the  ground  with  his  teeth  all  chattering  because  of 
the  cold. 

"  And  here  you  are  standing  up  already !  "  Lamme  ex- 
claimed. 

217 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  It  is  a  balm  of  much  virtue,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Balm  of  valiance,"  answered  Lamme. 

And  then,  taking  the  bodies  of  the  evangelists  one  by  one, 
he  cast  them  into  a  hole  in  the  rocks,  leaving  their  weapons 
and  their  clothes  upon  them.  But  he  took  their  cloaks. 

And  all  around  in  the  sky  the  crows  were  beginning  to 
caw  to  each  other,  in  anticipation  of  the  feast.  And  the 
Sambre  flowed  by  like  a  river  of  steel  under  the  grey  sky. 

And  the  snow  fell,  washing  the  blood  away. 

Yet  they  felt  ill  at  ease,  and  Lamme  said : 

"  I  had  rather  kill  a  chicken  than  a  man." 

And  they  mounted  again  upon  their  donkeys.  And  when 
they  arrived  at  the  gates  of  Huy,  the  blood  was  still  trickling 
from  the  head  of  Ulenspiegel,  so  they  dismounted  and  pre- 
tended to  have  a  quarrel,  and  to  use  their  daggers  on  one 
another,  with  the  utmost  ferocity  as  it  seemed.  But  when  they 
had  finished  their  duel,  they  remounted  their  donkeys  and 
came  into  the  town,  showing  their  passports  at  the  city  gates. 

The  women,  seeing  Ulenspiegel  wounded  and  bleeding 
while  Lamme  rode  his  donkey  as  though  he  had  been  the 
victor,  threw  many  a  glance  of  tender  commiseration  upon 
Ulenspiegel,  and  pointed  their  fingers  at  Lamme,  saying : 
"  That  is  the  rascal  who  wounded  his  friend." 

Lamme  all  this  time  was  anxiously  scrutinizing  the  crowd, 
hoping  to  discover  his  wife  among  them  ;  but  all  was  in  vain, 
and  he  was  sad  at  heart. 

XXI 

"  Where  are  you  going  now  ?  "  said  Lamme. 

"  To  Maestricht,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

"  But  stay,  my  son.  I  have  heard  that  the  army  of  the 
Duke  is  camped  all  round  the  city  and  that  he  himself  is 
within.  Our  passports  will  be  of  no  use  to  us  there.  Even 
if  they  satisfy  the  Spanish  soldiers,  we  shall  still  be  arrested 
in  the  city  and  put  through  an  examination.  And  in  the 
218 


LAM  ME  SUCCOURS 
ULENSPIEGEL 


At  the  Farm  of  Thomas  U ten  hove 

meantime  they  will  become  aware  of  the  death  of  the  evan- 
gelists and  our  days  on  this  earth  will  be  numbered." 
To  this  Ulenspiegel  made  answer : 

"  The  crows  and  the  owls  and  the  vultures  will  make  short 
work  of  their  repast.  Already  no  doubt  the  dead  bodies  have 
become  unrecognizable.  As  for  our  passports,  there  is  no 
reason  why  they  should  not  remain  effective.  But  if  the 
murder  of  the  evangelists  becomes  known  we  should  be  ar- 
rested as  you  say.  Nevertheless,  whatever  happens  we  shall 
have  to  go  to  Maestricht  and  pass  through  Landen  on  the 
way." 

"  We  shall  be  captured,"  said  Lamme. 
"  We  shall  get  through,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 
Conversing  in  this  wise  they  came  to  the  inn  of  La  Pie, 
where  they  found  a  good  supper  awaiting  them,  and  good 
quarters  for  the  night, both  for  themselves  and  for  the  donkeys; 
and  on  the  morrow  they  took  the  road  again  for  Landen. 

Not  far  from  that  town  they  came  to  a  large  farm.  There 
Ulenspiegel  whistled  like  a  lark,  and  from  the  interior  came 
the  sound  of  a  warlike  cockcrow  in  answer.  After  that  a 
jolly-looking  farmer  appeared  at  the  door  of  the  farmhouse, 
and  greeted  them  as  friends  and  good  Beggarmen,  and  bade 
them  welcome. 

"  Who  is  this  man  ?  "  Lamme  inquired. 
"  His  name  is  Thomas  Utenhove,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  and 
he  is  a  valiant  Protestant.     The  man-servants  and  maid- 
servants that  work  on  the  farm  are  fellows  with  him  in  the 
cause  of  freedom  of  conscience." 
Then  Utenhove  said  : 

"  You  are  the  envoys  of  the  Prince  ?  Come  in  then,  eat 
and  drink  with  me." 

And  the  ham  was  crackling  in  the  frying-pan,  the  sausages 
likewise,  and  the  wine  flowed  and  the  glasses  were  filled 
again.  And  Lamme  drank  like  dry  sand,  and  ate  his  fill. 
And  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  farm  came  one  after  another 

219 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

and  thrust  their  noses  into  the  half-open  door  to  gaze  on  him 
as  he  worked  away  so  hard.  But  the  men  were  jealous, 
saying  that  they  also  would  be  able  to  eat  and  drink  as  bravely 
if  they  had  the  chance. 

When  all  was  finished,  Thomas  Utenhove  said  : 

"  One  hundred  of  our  peasants  will  be  leaving  us  this 
week  under  pretext  of  going  to  work  on  the  dikes  at  Bruges 
and  thereabouts.  They  will  be  setting  out  in  small  bands 
of  five  or  six  at  a  time,  and  all  by  different  routes.  At 
Bruges  they  will  find  certain  barges  waiting  for  them  to  take 
them  by  sea  to  Emden." 

"  Will  these  men  be  provided  with  arms  and  with  money  ?  " 
inquired  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Each  man  will  carry  ten  florins  and  a  heavy  cutlass." 

"  God  and  the  Prince  will  reward  you,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  But  tell  me,"  said  the  farmer,  "  is  Edzard,  Count  of 
Frise,  still  friendly  to  the  Prince  ?  " 

"  He  feigns  not  to  be,"  answered  Ulenspiegel.  "  Never- 
theless, he  is  giving  harbourage  all  the  time  to  the  Prince's 
ships  at  Emden."  And  then  he  added :  "  We  are  on  the 
way  to  Maestricht." 

"  You  cannot  go  there,"  said  the  farmer.  "  The  Duke's 
army  is  camped  in  front  of  the  town  and  all  round  it." 

With  that  he  conducted  his  visitors  up  into  the  loft, 
whence  they  could  see  the  standards  of  enemy  cavalry  and 
infantry  moving  about  in  the  distance  over  the  plain. 

Ulenspiegel  said : 

"  I  have  a  plan  to  get  through,  if  only  they  who  have 
authority  in  this  place  would  give  me  leave  to  get  married. 
But  for  wife  I  should  need  a  sweet  and  a  gentle  and  comely 
lass  who  would  be  willing  to  marry  me — if  not  for  always, 
then  for  a  week  at  least." 

Lamme  gasped  with  astonishment. 

"  Don't  do  it,  my  son,"  he  cried.  "  She  will  only  leave  you, 
and  then,  all  alone,  you  will  burn  with  the  fire  of  love  ;  and 

220 


A  Clever  Plan 

the  bed  where  now  you  sleep  so  sweetly  will  seem  to  you 
nothing  better  than  a  bed  of  prickly  holly  leaves,  and  gentle 
sleep  will  shun  you  for  evermore." 

"  Still  I  must  marry,"  replied  Ulenspiegel.  And  then 
to  Thomas  Utenhove :  "  Come  now,  find  me  a  wife ;  rich  or 
poor,  I  don't  care  which  !  And  I  will  take  her  to  church, 
and  our  marriage  shall  be  blessed  by  the  priest.  And  he 
shall  give  us  our  marriage  lines.  Though,  to  be  sure,  we  shall 
not  hold  them  valid  as  being  given  by  the  hand  of  a  Papist 
and  an  Inquisitor.  Nevertheless  they  will  be  good  enough 
for  our  purpose,  and  we  will  prepare  ourselves,  as  is  the  custom, 
for  our  wedding  trip." 

"  But  what  about  the  wife  ?  " 

"  That's  your  look-out,"  answered  Ulenspiegel.  "  But 
when  you  have  found  her  I  shall  take  two  wagons  and  deco- 
rate them  with  wreaths  of  fir  branches  and  holly  and  paper 
flowers,  and  in  the  wagons  themselves  I  ehall  dispose  the  men 
whom  you  wish  to  be  conveyed  to  the  Prince  of  Orange." 

"  But  your  wife  ?  "  persisted  Thomas  Utenhove.  "  Where 
will  you  find  her  ?  " 

"  Here,  I  doubt  not,"  answered  Ulenspiegel.  "  And 
then  I  shall  harness  two  of  your  own  horses  to  one  of  the 
wagons,  and  our  two  donkeys  to  the  other.  In  the  first 
wagon  will  ride  my  wife  and  myself,  together  with  my  friend 
Lamme  here,  and  the  witnesses  of  our  nuptials.  In  the 
second  wagon  will  follow  the  musicians,  the  players  upon 
the  drum,  the  fife,  and  the  shawm.  And  then,  with  all  our 
joyous  wedding-flags  a-flying,  and  with  music  playing,  and 
we  ourselves  singing  and  drinking  each  other's  healths,  we 
shall  ride  along  at  the  trot  by  the  high  road  that  leads  to  the 
Galgen-veld — the  Field  of  the  Gallows — which  for  us  indeed 
will  be  the  Field  of  Liberty." 

"  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to  help  you,"  said  Thomas 
Utenhove,  "  but  the  women  and  girls  will  want  to  follow 
their  men-folk. 

221 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  We  will  go  where  God  wills,"  said  a  pretty-looking 
girl  who  had  thrust  in  her  head  at  the  half-opened  door. 

"  You  can  have  four  wagons  if  need  be,"  said  Thomas 
Utenhove,  "  and  by  that  means  we  should  be  able  to 
convey  as  many  as  five-and-twenty  men." 

"  The  Duke  will  be  nicely  fooled,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  And  the  Prince's  fleet  will  gain  the  service  of  some  fine 
soldiers,"  added  Thomas  Utenhove. 

Then  he  caused  a  bell  to  be  rung  to  summon  his  footman 
and  his  servants,  and  when  they  were  all  assembled  he  said  to 
them : 

"  All  you  that  are  from  the  land  of  Zeeland,  women  as 
well  as  men,  listen  now  to  me.  Ulenspiegel,  who  is  hither 
come  from  Flanders,  has  a  plan  to  convey  you  through  the 
enemy's  lines,  disguised  as  the  followers  in  a  wedding  pro- 
cession." 

And  thereat  the  men  and  women  of  Zeeland  cried  out 
with  one  accord  : 

"  We  are  ready,  even  unto  the  death  !  " 

And  the  men  said  one  to  another  : 

"  What  joy  it  will  be  to  exchange  this  land  of  slavery  for 
the  freedom  of  the  sea  !  " 

And  the  women  and  girls  said  likewise : 

"  Let  us  follow  our  husbands  and  our  lovers ;  we  belong  to 
Zeeland  and  there  we  shall  find  asile  !  " 

Now  Ulenspiegel  had  noticed  a  young  and  pretty  maid, 
and  he  addressed  her  jokingly  : 

"  I  would  you  were  my  wife  !  " 

But  she  blushed  and  answered  him  : 

"  I  would  have  thee  for  my  husband — but  at  the  church 
only,  remember  !  " 

The  women  laughed  and  said  among  themselves  : 

"  She  is  in  love  with  Hans  Utenhove,  the  master's  son. 
He  will  go  along  with  her,  doubtless." 

"  You  say  truly,"  Hans  replied. 

222 


A  Bride  for  Ulenspiegel 

And  his  father  said  : 

"  You  have  my  permission." 

Then  all  the  men  put  on  their  best  clothes,  their  doublets 
and  hose  of  velvet,  and  the  great  opperst-kleed  over  all.  As 
for  the  women,  they  wore  black  petticoats  and  pleated  shoes. 
Round  their  necks  they  wore  a  white  ruff,  their  bodices  were 
embroidered  in  gold,  scarlet,  and  blue ;  their  skirts  were  of 
black  wool  with  broad  stripes  of  black  velvet  thereon,  and 
their  stockings  were  of  black  wool,  and  their  shoes  of  velvet 
with  silver  buckles. 

Thereupon  Thomas  Utenhove  went  to  the  church  and  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  priest  a  couple  of  ryckdaelders,  asking 
him  at  the  same  time  to  join  in  marriage  Thylbert  the  son  of 
Claes  (that  is  Ulenspiegel)  and  Tannekin  Pieters.  And  this 
the  cure  consented  to  do. 

Ulenspiegel  then  went  to  church,  followed  by  the  wedding 
procession.  And  there,  in  the  presence  of  the  priest,  Tanne- 
kin was  made  his  wife. 

And  she  looked  so  pretty  and  so  sweet,  so  complaisant 
and  so  tender,  that  right  willingly  would  he  have  eaten  her 
up  as  she  had  been  a  ripe  apple  of  love.  And  he  told  her  so, 
not  daring  to  do  more  for  the  respect  he  felt  for  her  gentle 
loveliness.  But  she  pouted  her  lips,  and  bade  him  leave  her 
alone,  for  that  Hans  was  watching  him  and  would  kill  him 
without  a  doubt. 

And  a  certain  damsel  was  jealous,  and  said  to  Ulen- 
spiegel : 

"  Seek  elsewhere  for  a  lover.  Do  you  not  see  that  she  is 
afraid  of  her  own  man  ?  " 

Lamme  clapped  his  hands  together  and  cried  : 

"  You  cannot  have  them  all,  you  rascal !  " 

So  Ulenspiegel,  making  the  best  of  his  misfortune,  returned 
to  the  farm  with  the  wedding  guests.  And  there  he  drank 
and  sang  and  made  merry,  clinking  many  a  glass  with  the 
damsel  that  was  jealous.  And  at  this  Hans  was  glad,  but 

223 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

not  so  Tannekin,  nor  yet  the  youth  that  was  betrothed  to 
the  damsel. 

At  noon,  while  the  sun  shone  down  from  a  clear  sky  and  a 
fresh  breeze  was  blowing,  the  wedding  carriages  started  off. 
They  were  decorated  with  flowers  and  every  kind  of  greenery, 
with  flags  flying,  and  drums  and  fifes,  bagpipes  and  shawms 
playing  most  joyfully. 

Now  it  happened  that  in  the  camp  of  the  Duke  of  Alba 
there  was  another  fete  in  progress  ;  and  the  sentries  of  the 
guard,  having  sounded  the  alarm,  ran  to  the  Duke,  crying  : 

"  The  enemy  is  at  hand.  We  have  heard  the  noise  of 
drums  and  fifes,  and  we  have  seen  their  banners  in  the  distance. 
There  is  a  strong  force  of  cavalry  that  is  hoping  to  draw  you 
into  some  ambush.  The  main  body,  doubtless,  is  not  far  off." 

The  Duke  at  once  sent  to  warn  the  colonels  and  captains, 
and  himself  ordered  the  army  to  be  massed  in  battle  array,  and 
dispatched  certain  scouting  parties  on  reconnaissance. 

Then  it  was  that  there  came  on  the  scene  the  four 
carriages,  making  straight  for  the  Duke's  gunners.  And  in 
the  chariots  were  none  but  men  and  women  dancing  and 
drinking  and  playing  most  joyously  on  fifes  and  drums  and 
bagpipes  and  shawms.  And  wondrous  was  the  din  that 
came  from  all  those  instruments. 

When  the  procession  had  been  brought  to  a  halt,  the  Duke 
himself  came  up,  attracted  by  the  noise,  and  he  saw  the  newly 
married  bride  where  she  stood  in  one  of  the  four  chariots  ; 
and  beside  her  was  Ulenspiegel,  the  bridegroom,  covered  with 
flowers  ;  and  all  the  other  peasants,  both  men  and  women, 
who  had  by  now  got  down  from  the  chariots  and  were  dancing 
all  round  them  and  offering  drink  to  the  soldiers. 

The  Duke  and  his  friends  were  much  astonished  at  the 
simplicity  of  these  peasants  who  sang  and  made  merry  when 
all  around  them  was  an  army  ready  to  do  battle. 

And  now  they  that  remained  in  the  chariots  were  giving 
all  the  wine  to  the  soldiers,  and  they  in  their  turn  were 
224 


THE  MOCK  MARRIAGE 


On  the  Banks  of  the  Meuse 

feted  by  them  and  made  much  of;  till  at  last,  when  the 
wine  began  to  run  out,  the  peasants  continued  on  their  way 
again.  The  drums  and  fifes  and  bagpipes  struck  up  once 
more  and  the  cavalcade  moved  off  without  any  let  or 
hindrance.  And  the  soldiers,  in  high  good  humour,  let  off  a 
volley  from  their  guns  in  honour  of  the  festal  occasion. 

And  thus  they  came  to  Maestricht,  where  Ulenspiegel 
took  counsel  with  the  agents  of  the  Reformers  as  to  the  best 
way  of  sending  ships  loaded  with  arms  and  munitions  to 
the  assistance  of  the  Prince's  fleet. 

And  from  there  they  went  to  Landen  and  to  other  places, 
disguised  as  working  men. 

The  Duke  was  not  long  in  learning  the  trick  that  had  been 
played  on  him,  and  there  came  into  his  hands  a  lampoon 
which  was  in  circulation  at  the  time,  with  this  refrain  : 

Bloody  Duke, 

Silly  Duke, 

Hast  thou  seen  the  Bride  ? 

And  every  time  that  the  Duke  made  a  mistake  in  his  general- 
ship the  soldiers  would  sing  : 


Duke  he  can't  see  dearly  ; 
He  has  seen  the  Bride  ! 

XXII 

Now  in  those  days  the  Duke  divided  his  army  into  two 
parts,  one  of  which  he  ordered  to  march  towards  the  Duchy 
of  Luxemburg  and  the  other  to  the  Marquisate  of  Namur. 

"  These  tactics  of  the  military  are  all  one  to  me,"  said 
Ulenspiegel  to  Lamme,  "  let  us  go  on  our  way  with  confidence." 

They  were  walking  along  the  banks  of  the  Meuse,  near 
the  town  of  Maestricht,  and  Lamme  saw  that  Ulenspiegel 
gazed  attentively  at  all  the  boats  that  were  sailing  on  the 
river.  Suddenly  he  came  to  a  stand  before  one  of  these 

p  225 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

boats  upon  whose  prow  was  carved  the  figure  of  a  mermaid. 
And  the  mermaid  carried  a  shield  and  on  it  in  gold  upon  a 
black  ground  were  blazoned  the  letters  J.H.S.,  being  the 
monogram  of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  Ulenspiegel 
signed  to  Lamme  that  he  should  stand  still,  and  then  he 
began  to  sing  like  a  lark  most  joyously. 

A  man  appeared  on  the  boat  and  began  to  crow  like  a 
cock.  At  this  Ulenspiegel  set  up  a  noise  like  a  donkey's 
bray,  which  the  man  immediately  echoed  with  interest.  And 
the  two  donkeys  of  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel  lay  back  their 
ears  and  joined  in  the  chorus  with  their  own  natural  voices. 
Sundry  women  and  men  were  passing  along  that  way,  the 
latter  riding  on  the  backs  of  the  horses  which  were  tugging  the 
barges  along  the  tow-path.  And  Ulenspiegel  said  to  Lamme  : 

"  This  boatman  is  making  mock  of  us  and  our  good 
steeds.  What  do  you  say  to  going  and  attacking  him  on  his 
boat  ?  " 

"  Let  us  rather  entice  him  over  to  the  bank,"  replied 
Lamme. 

But  a  woman  who  happened  to  be  passing  at  the  moment 
said  : 

"  If  you  don't  want  to  come  back  with  your  arms  cut 
off,  your  backs  broken,  and  your  noses  in  pieces,  let  me  advise 
you  to  let  this  Stercke  Pier  bray  at  his  ease." 

"  Ee — aw  !     Ee — aw  !     Ee — aw  !  "  went  the  boatman. 

"  Let  him  sing,"  continued  the  woman.  "  Only  the  other 
day  he  showed  us  how  he  could  lift  on  his  shoulders  a  truck 
of  heavy  barrels  of  beer,  and  hold  back  yet  another  truck 
that  was  being  dragged  forwards  by  a  strong  horse.  And  at 
the  inn  there  " — and  as  she  spoke  she  pointed  to  the  tavern 
of  the  Elauwe  Torre — "  it  was  there  one  day  that  he  threw 
his  knife  at  a  plank  of  oak-wood  twelve  inches  thick  and 
pierced  it  at  a  distance  of  twenty  paces  !  " 

"  Ee — aw  !  Ee — aw  !  Ee — aw  !  "  went  the  boatman, 
and  now  he  was  joined  by  a  youngster  of  twelve  or  so,  who 
226 


The  Adventure  of  the  Boatman 

climbed  on  to  the  bridge  of  the  boat,  and  began  to  bray  in 
like  manner. 

But  Ulenspiegel  answered  the  woman  : 

"  He's  nothing  to  us,  your  Peter  the  Strong !  For 
however  strong  he  is,  we  are  stronger  !  See  my  friend  Lamme 
here.  He  could  eat  up  two  men  like  that  without  so  much  as  a 
hiccup  !  " 

"  What's  this  you're  saying,  my  son  ?  "  demanded  Lamme. 

"  The  truth,"  answered  Ulenspiegel.  "  And  do  not  let 
your  modesty  contradict  me.  For  of  a  truth,  good  people, 
women  and  working  men  of  Maestricht,  I  tell  you  that  before 
long  you  shall  see  my  friend  here  belabouring  and  beating 
to  nothing  this  famous  Stercke  Pier  of  yours  !  " 

"  Be  quiet,"  said  Lamme. 

"  Your  strength  is  famous  far  and  wide,"  answered  Ulen- 
spiegel. "  You  cannot  conceal  it." 

"  Ee — aw  !  "  went  the  boatman.  "  Ee — aw  !  "  went 
the  boy. 

Suddenly  Ulenspiegel  began  again  to  sing  like  a  lark  very 
melodiously,  and  the  men  and  women  and  workmen  standing 
by  were  enchanted,  and  began  to  ask  him  where  he  had 
learnt  the  art  of  whistling  so  divinely. 

"  In  Paradise,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  whence  I  come." 
Then  he  addressed  himself  to  the  boatman,  who  was  still 
continuing  his  braying  and  mocking  : 

"  Why  do  you  stay  there  on  your  boat,  you  good-for- 
nothing  ?  Haven't  you  the  courage  to  come  and  jeer  at  us 
and  our  steeds  from  the  dry  land  ?  " 

"  Haven't  you  the  courage  for  that  ?  "  said  Lamme. 

"  Ee — aw  !  Ee — aw ! "  went  the  boatman.  "  Come,  my 
good  bray-masters,  come  up  rather  into  my  boat." 

Then  Ulenspiegel  whispered  to  Lamme  to  do  exactly  as 
he  did.  But  to  the  boatman  he  said  aloud  : 

"  If  you  are  Stercke  Pier,  I  am  Tyl  Ulenspiegel.  And  these 
two  here  are  our  donkeys,  Jef  and  Jan,  and  they  know  how  to 

227 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

bray  better  than  you  do,  for  that  is  their  natural  way  of 
talking.  As  for  coming  on  to  your  leaky  decks,  it  is  the  last 
thing  we  wish  to  do.  Your  boat  is  like  a  tub,  and  each  time 
that  a  wave  comes  along  it  shivers,  and  it  knows  no  other  way 
of  walking  save  sideways-on  like  a  crab." 

"  Yes,  like  a  crab  !  "  said  Lamme. 

To  which  the  boatman  made  answer  : 

"  What  are  you  croaking  there  between  your  teeth, 
great  block  of  fat  ?  " 

At  this  Lamme  fell  into  a  rage,  crying  : 

"  You  are  no  Christian  to  make  mock  of  my  infirmity. 
My  fat  is  my  own,  let  me  tell  you,  and  is  the  result  of  the  good 
food  I  eat,  whereas  you,  old  bag  of  bones  that  you  are,  you 
have  never  lived  upon  aught  better  than  smoked  herrings 
and  old  candle-wicks  if  one  may  judge  anything  from  the 
lean  flesh  that  shows  through  the  tears  in  your  measly  hose." 

"  Ee — aw !  Ee — aw ! '  '  cried  the  boatman,  and  Lamme 
would  have  got  down  from  his  donkey  to  collect  stones  to 
throw  at  him  had  not  Ulenspiegel  said  him  nay. 

The  boatman  now  began  to  whisper  something  into  the 
ear  of  the  lad  who  was  still  "  ee — awing  "  at  his  side,  and  a 
moment  later  the  lad  unfastened  a  little  boat  which  lay  by 
the  side  of  the  big  one,  and  with  the  end  of  the  boat-hook 
shoved  himself  cleverly  off  towards  the  river-bank.  When 
the  boy  was  quite  close  to  the  bank  he  drew  himself  up  proudly 
and  threw  down  this  challenge : 

"  My  master  wants  to  know  if  you  will  have  the  courage 
to  come  on  to  his  boat  and  join  with  him  in  a  battle  of  fist  and 
feet.  And  these  good  men  and  women  shall  be  the  arbiters." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Ulenspiegel  in  a  dignified  tone  of  voice. 

"  We  accept  the  challenge,"  said  Lamme  haughtily. 

It  was  midday.  The  workmen  who  laboured  on  the  dike 
and  the  road-menders  and  the  builders  of  ships  were  about 
to  take  their  repast  of  beans  and  boiled  beef  which  had  been 
brought  them  by  their  women-folk  or  their  children.  All 
228 


Prowess  of  Lam  me  Goedzak 

these,  then,  who  stood  around  began  to  laugh  and  to  clap 
their  hands  at  the  prospect  of  a  fight,  looking  forward  with 
joy  to  the  chance  of  seeing  the  head  of  one  of  the  combatants 
broken,  or  his  body  thrown  in  pieces  into  the  river. 

"  My  son,"  said  Lamme  under  his  breath,  "  the  boat- 
man will  assuredly  throw  us  into  the  water." 

"  Let  him  throw  you  in  if  he  wants  to,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  The  big  one  is  afraid,"  said  the  crowd  of  workmen. 

Lamme,  who  was  still  sitting  his  donkey,  turned  round  and 
gave  them  a  look  of  anger,  but  they  jeered  at  him  the  more. 

"  Come  on,"  said  Lamme.  "  Let  us  to  the  boat,  and 
then  they  shall  see  if  I  am  afraid." 

At  these  words  the  jeers  broke  out  again,  and  Ulenspiegel 
said  : 

"  Come,  let  us  to  the  boat !  " 

When,  therefore,  they  had  dismounted  from  their  donkeys 
they  threw  the  bridles  to  the  boatman's  lad,  who  caressed  the 
animals  in  friendly  wise  and  led  them  to  a  place  where  he  saw 
some  thistles  growing.  At  the  same  time  Ulenspiegel  seized 
hold  of  the  boat-hook,  made  Lamme  get  into  the  skiff,  and 
then  steered  straight  for  the  big  boat.  There  he  mounted 
on  to  the  deck  by  the  help  of  a  rope,  and  Lamme  climbed  up 
in  front  of  him,  puffing  and  blowing. 

Arrived  on  the  bridge  of  the  boat,  Ulenspiegel  leant  down 
as  if  to  lace  up  his  boots,  and  at  the  same  time  he  spoke  a  word 
into  the  boatman's  ear,  who  straightway  laughed  and  gave 
Lamme  a  curious  look.  Then  he  began  to  roar  out  at  him 
every  kind  of  insult,  calling  him  worthless  rogue,  a  man 
bloated  with  vicious  fat,  prison-bred,  -pap-eter,  and  at  the 
same  time  inquiring  of  him  how  many  tons  of  oil  they  gave 
him  when  he  was  bled. 

All  of  a  sudden,  without  waiting  to  reply,  Lamme  threw 
himself  like  a  mad  bull  upon  the  boatman,  knocked  him  down, 
and  began  to  beat  him  with  all  his  might.  The  boatman, 
however,  did  not  receive  much  injury,  forasmuch  as  Lamme's 

229 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

arms  were  but  weak  on  account  of  their  fatness.  And  the 
boatman  suffered  himself  to  be  thus  dealt  with  despite  the 
fact  that  he  was  making  a  great  pretence  at  resistance  all  the 
time.  And  the  men  and  women  who  were  watching  the 
battle  from  the  bank  were  astonished,  and  exclaimed  to  each 
other :  "  Who  would  have  thought  that  this  fat  man  could 
be  so  fiery  !  " 

And  they  clapped  their  hands  while  Lamme  continued  to 
belabour  the  boatman  most  unmercifully.  But  the  latter 
took  care  only  to  protect  his  face.  Suddenly  Lamme  was 
seen  to  be  kneeling  upon  the  breast  of  Stercke  Pier,  with  one 
hand  on  his  adversary's  throat,  and  the  other  raised  to 
strike. 

"  Cry  for  mercy,"  he  said  furiously,  "  or  else  I  shall  make 
you  pass  through  the  planks  of  your  tub." 

At  this  the  boatman  began  to  cough,  thereby  signifying 
that  he  could  not  speak,  and  demanded  mercy  with  a  sign  of 
his  hand. 

Then  Lamme  was  seen  to  pick  up  his  adversary  in  a  most 
generous  manner,  who  thereupon,  standing  upright  and 
turning  his  back  towards  the  onlookers,  put  out  his  tongue  at 
Ulenspiegel.  Now  the  latter  was  rocking  with  laughter  to 
see  Lamme  shaking  the  feather  on  his  cap  so  proudly  and 
walking  about  in  triumph  upon  the  deck  of  the  boat. 

And  the  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls,  who  were  watching 
from  the  bank  applauded  their  loudest  and  cried  out :  "  Long 
live  'the  conqueror  of  Stercke  Pier  !  He  is  a  man  of  iron  ! 
Did  you  see  how  he  cuffed  him  with  his  fist,  and  how  he 
threw  him  down  on  his  back  with  a  blow  of  his  hand  ?  But 
see,  they  are  now  about  to  drink  together  to  make  the  peace  ! 
Stercke  Pier  is  coming  up  from  the  hold  with  wine  and 
sausages  !  "  And  in  very  truth,  Stercke  Pier  might  now  have 
been  seen  coming  on  deck  with  two  tankards  and  a  quart  of 
white  Meuse  wine.  And  Lamme  and  the  boatman  made 
their  peace.  After  which  Lamme  asked  his  new  friend 
230 


Farewell  to  the  Boatman 

what  sort  of  fricassees  they  were  that  were  being  cooked  in  the 
hold  of  the  ship  ;  for  at  one  end  of  the  deck  was  a  chimney 
whence  rose  a  column  of  thick  black  smoke.  And  the  boat- 
man made  answer  : 

"  Since  you  are  men  of  valiant  heart,  knowing  well  the 
song  of  the  lark,  the  bird  of  freedom,  and  the  warlike  clarion 
of  the  cock,  and  the  bray  of  the  ass  withal,  come  you  with  me 
and  I  will  show  you  my  kitchen." 

And  so  saying  he  led  the  way  into  the  hold,  where,  removing 
certain  planks  from  the  floor,  he  disclosed  some  mighty  piles 
of  gun-barrels,  together  with  a  quantity  of  iron  lances, 
halberds,  sword-blades,  and  a  great  heap  of  powder  and  shot. 

"  Where  shall  I  take  them  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  To  Emden,  through  the  North  Sea,"  said  Ulenspiegel, 
"  good  Beggarman  that  you  are  !  " 

"  The  sea  is  big,"  said  the  boatman. 

"  Big  for  battle,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  God  is  with  us,"  said  the  boatman. 

"  Who  then  can  be  against  us  ?  "  cried  Ulenspiegel. 

And  when  they  had  thus  spoken,  the  boatman  conducted 
Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel  on  deck,  with  many  words  of  cheer 
and  good  counsel.  Then  they  rowed  to  the  bank,  where 
they  mounted  again  upon  their  donkeys  and  set  off  towards 
Liege. 

"  My  son,"  said  Lamme  whilst  they  were  ambling  gently 
along,  "  pray  tell  me  why  did  that  man,  strong  as  he  was, 
allow  himself  to  be  beaten  by  me  so  cruelly  ?  " 

"  To  the  end,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  that  wherever 
we  go,  the  fear  of  your  prowess  may  go  before  us.  That 
indeed  will  prove  a  more  powerful  escort  than  twenty  lands- 
knechts.  For  who  would  dare  to  measure  his  strength  with 
Lamme  the  mighty,  Lamme  the  conqueror  ?  Lamme  the 
matchless  bull  among  men,  that  overcame  in  the  sight  of  all 
beholders  the  famous  Stercke  Pier — Peter  the  Strong — and 
threw  him  to  the  ground  like  a  feather  ?  " 

231 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  You  say  well,  my  son,"  said  Lamme,  drawing  himself 
up  in  the  saddle. 

"  And  I  say  what  is  true,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  for 
did  you  not  notice  the  faces  that  looked  out  so  curiously 
from  the  houses  on  the  outskirts  of  this  village  ?  They  were 
pointing  at  the  terrible  figure  of  Lamme  the  Conqueror  ! 
And  do  you  see  these  men  who  are  gazing  on  you  even  now 
with  such  envy,  and  these  sorry  cowards  who  uncover  as  you 
pass  ?  Answer  to  their  salute,  O  Lamme,  my  sweet  one,  nor 
be  disdainful  of  the  populace.  Behold,  the  very  children 
know  your  name  and  whisper  it  with  terror." 

And  Lamme  passed  along  proudly,  saluting  right  and 
left  like  a  king.  And  the  fame  of  his  valour  followed  him 
from  village  to  village  and  from  town  to  town,  as  far  as 
Liege,  Chocquier,  La  Neuville,  Vesin,  and  Namur,  to  which 
place,  however,  our  travellers  gave  a  wide  berth  because  of  the 
three  evangelists.  And  so  they  wended  along  by  the  banks  of 
river  and  canal,  and  everywhere  the  song  of  the  lark  answered 
the  song  of  the  cock.  And  wherever  they  went  they  found 
that  in  the  sacred  cause  of  Liberty  weapons  were  being 
forged  and  armour  furbished  for  the  ships  that  stood  by  along 
the  coast  to  carry  away. 

And  Lamme,  preceded  everywhere  by  his  glorious  reputa- 
tion, began  himself  to  believe  in  his  own  prowess,  and  growing 
proud  and  warlike  he  let  his  beard  grow  too.  And  Ulen- 
spiegel called  him  Lamme  the  Lion.  But  Lamme  did  not 
continue  in  this  purpose  longer  than  the  fourth  day,  because 
the  hairs  of  his  beard  began  to  tickle  him.  And  he  passed  a 
razor  over  the  surface  of  his  victorious  countenance,  so  that 
it  appeared  thereafter  like  his  own  face  once  more,  round  and 
full  as  the  sun,  ablaze  with  the  flame  of  good  nourishment. 
And  thus  they  came  at  length  to  Harlebeke. 


232 


LAM  ME  THE  VICTOR 


At  Courtrai 

XXIII 

At  Harlebeke  Lamme  renewed  his  provision  of  olie- 
koekjes,  eating  seven-and-twenty  of  them  on  the  spot  and 
putting  thirty  away  into  his  basket.  The  same  evening 
they  came  to  Courtrai  and  dismounted  from  their  donkeys 
at  the  tavern  of  the  Bee  that  was  kept  by  one  Gilis  Van  den 
Ende,  who  himself  came  to  the  inn  door  as  soon  as  he  heard 
the  singing  of  the  lark. 

At  once  the  new  arrivals  found  that  everything  was  made 
like  sugar  and  honey  for  them ;  for  mine  host,  as  soon  as  he 
had  seen  the  letter  from  the  Prince,  presented  Ulenspiegel  with 
fifty  caroluses  on  the  Prince's  behalf,  nor  would  he  accept  any 
payment  at  all  for  the  turkey  which  he  served  for  their 
dinner,  nor  yet  for  the  dobbel  clauwaert  which  he  gave  them 
to  drink.  He  warned  them  also  that  there  were  many  spies 
in  Courtrai,  and  that  it  behoved  both  Ulenspiegel  and  his 
companion  to  keep  a  close  watch  on  what  they  said  during 
their  stay  in  the  city. 

u  We  shall  be  careful,"  said  Ulenspiegel  and  Lamme. 
And  so  saying  they  came  out  of  the  tavern. 

The  gables  of  the  houses  were  all  gilded  in  the  rays  of  the 
setting  sun.  The  birds  sang  in  the  lime-trees,  and  Lamme 
and  Ulenspiegel  wandered  at  their  ease  along  the  streets  of 
the  town.  All  at  once  Lamme  said  : 

"  I  asked  Martin  Van  den  Ende  if  by  chance  he  had  seen 
any  one  at  all  resembling  my  wife  in  Courtrai,  and  he  told  me 
that  there  were  a  number  of  women  that  were  accustomed  to 
meet  together  of  an  evening  at  the  sign  of  the  Rainbow,  a 
house  that  is  kept  by  a  woman  called  La  Stevenyne,  just 
outside  the  town  on  the  road  to  Bruges.  I  shall  go  there." 

"  I  will  meet  you  anon,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  But  now  I 
would  see  the  sights  of  the  town.  If  I  meet  your  wife  I  will 
send  her  on  to  you.  Meanwhile  remember  what  the  innkeeper 
said,  and  keep  your  own  counsel  if  you  value  your  own  skin." 

233 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  I  will  be  careful,"  said  Lamme. 

Ulenspiegel  walked  about  by  himself  till  the  sun  set  and 
night  began  to  come  on  quickly.  He  had  come  to  the  Pier- 
pot-Straetje — the  Alley  of  the  Pot  of  Stone — and  there  he 
heard  the  sound  of  a  viola  being  played  most  melodiously, 
and  presently  he  noticed  a  white  figure  that  beckoned  to  him 
from  a  distance,  then  retreated,  playing  the  viola  all  the 
time.  It  was  a  woman,  and  she  sang  like  a  seraphim,  a 
sweet,  slow  song,  stopping  now  and  then  to  look  behind 
her  with  a  beckoning  gesture,  then  retreating  again.  But 
Ulenspiegel  ran  quickly  and  overtook  her,  and  was  about  to 
speak  to  her  when  she  sealed  his  lips  with  a  hand  all  scented 
with  benjamin. 

"  Are  you  a  working  man  or  a  nobleman  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  am  Ulenspiegel." 

"  Are  you  rich  ?  " 

"  Rich  enough  for  you." 

"  But  you  have  not  seen  me  !  "  And  she  opened  the 
lantern  she  carried  so  as  to  let  the  light  shine  straight  upon 
her  face. 

"  You  are  beautiful,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Then  come  with  me,"  she  said. 

And  she  brought  him  to  the  house  of  La  Stevenyne,  on  the 
road  to  Bruges,  at  the  sign  of  the  Rainbow. 

They  entered  a  large  room  where  a  great  number  of  girls 
were  assembled,  who  all  looked  up  jealously  at  Ulenspiegel's 
companion  as  she  came  in.  And  suddenly  Ulenspiegel  saw 
Lamme,  sitting  there  in  a  corner  by  a  little  table  whereon  was 
a  candle,  a  ham,  and  a  pot  of  beer.  By  his  side  were  a 
couple  of  girls,  who  were  endeavouring  to  get  a  share  in  the 
ham  and  the  beer  ;  but  Lamme  was  trying  to  prevent  them. 
As  soon  as  he  noticed  Ulenspiegel  he  jumped  up,  crying : 

"  Blessed  be  God  who  has  given  back  to  me  my  friend  ! 
Bring  more  drink,  baesine  \  " 

At  this  Ulenspiegel  drew  out  his  purse,  saying : 

234 


At  the  Sign  of  the  Rainbow 

"  Yes,  bring  us  to  drink  to  the  value  of  what  is  in  here  !  " 
and  he  jingled  the  money  that  was  in  the  purse. 

"  No,  by  heaven  !  "  cried  Lamme,  seizing  the  purse. 
"  It's  I  that  shall  pay,  not  you." 

Ulenspiegel  would  have  recovered  the  purse  by  force,  but 
Lamme  kept  tight  hold.  As  they  were  struggling  together, 
the  one  to  keep  the  purse,  the  other  to  get  it  back  again, 
Lamme  whispered  by  fits  and  starts  into  Ulenspiegel's  ear  : 

"  Listen.  Constables.  Here  .  .  .  four  of  them  .  .  .  in  the 
little  room  with  three  girls.  Two  outside  waiting  for  you  and 
for  me.  ...  I  tried  to  go  out  .  .  .  prevented.  .  .  .  The 
girl  over  there  in  the  brocaded  gown  is  a  spy  .  .  .  Stevenyne  a 
spy  !  " 

And  all  the  time  they  were  fighting  Ulenspiegel  listened 
attentively,  though  he  kept  on  crying  aloud  : 

"  Give  me  back  my  purse,  you  rascal !  " 

And  they  seized  each  other  by  the  neck  and  by  the 
shoulders,  and  rolled  together  on  the  floor,  while  Lamme 
went  on  with  his  tidings  to  Ulenspiegel.  Suddenly  there 
appeared  on  the  scene  mine  host  of  the  tavern  of  the  Bee  ; 
and  he  was  followed  by  seven  other  men,  with  whom,  however, 
he  apparently  had  no  connexion.  As  he  came  in  he  crowed 
like  a  cock  and  Ulenspiegel  whistled  like  a  lark.  Then,  seeing 
Ulenspiegel  and  Lamme  still  struggling  on  the  floor,  he 
inquired  of  La  Stevenyne  who  they  might  be.  "  Two  rascals," 
she  told  him,  "  who  ought  to  be  parted  from  each  other 
instead  of  being  allowed  to  make  all  this  disturbance  ere  they 
are  brought  to  the  gallows." 

"  If  any  one  tries  to  separate  us,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  we 
will  make  him  eat  of  these  paving-stones." 

"  Yes,"  said  Lamme,  "  we  will  make  him  eat  these  paving- 
stones  !  " 

Then  Ulenspiegel  whispered  something  in  Lamme's  ear. 
"  The  innkeeper  is  come  to  rescue  us"  And  presently  the 
innkeeper,  who  must  have  divined  some  mystery  was  afoot, 

235 


The  Legend  of  lyl  Ulenspiegel 

joined  the  meUe  on  the  floor  with  his  head  down,  and  Lamme 
attacked  him  in  the  ear  with  these  words  : 

"  You  have  come  to  rescue  us  ?     How  will  you  do  it  ?  " 

The  innkeeper  made  pretence  of  pulling  Ulenspiegel  by 
the  ears,  but  managed  to  say  to  him  the  while,  under  his 
breath  : 

"  These  seven  men  are  on  your  side  .  .  .  they  are  strong 
men  .  .  .  butchers.  ...  I  must  be  off  ...  too  well  known 
in  the  town  .  .  .  but  when  I  have  gone  .  .  .  'T  is  van  te  beven 
de  klinkaert.  .  .  .  Break  up  everything.  .  .  ." 

"  I  understand,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  rising  at  the  same  time 
from  the  floor  and  kicking  out  at  the  innkeeper.  The  latter 
struck  Ulenspiegel  in  his  turn  and  Ulenspiegel  said  : 

"  You  hit  hard,  my  hearty  !  " 

"As  hard  as  a  hail-storm,"  said  the  innkeeper.  And 
quickly  seizing  the  purse  from  Lamme  he  handed  it  back  to 
Ulenspiegel. 

"  You  may  stand  me  a  drink,  you  rogue,  now  you  are 
come  into  your  right  mind  again." 

"  I'll  stand  you  one,  you  scandalous  scamp,"  replied 
Ulenspiegel. 

"  See  how  insolent  he  is,"  said  La  Stevenyne. 

"  As  insolent  as  you  are  beautiful,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

Now  La  Stevenyne  was  sixty  years  old  at  least,  and  her 
face  was  like  the  fruit  of  the  medlar,  but  all  yellow  with  bile, 
and  she  had  a  large  port-wine  stain  on  her  left  cheek. 

When  the  innkeeper  had  had  his  drink,  he  paid  the  bill 
and  departed.  The  seven  butchers  meanwhile  made  sundry 
knowing  grimaces  at  the  constables  and  La  Stevenyne.  One 
of  them  indicated  by  a  gesture  that  he  held  Ulenspiegel  for  a 
simpleton,  and  that  he  would  be  able  to  do  for  him  very 
easily.  But  all  the  time  that  he  was  putting  out  his  tongue 
in  mockery  to  La  Stevenyne,  who  herself  was  grinning  and 
laughing,  he  whispered  in  Ulenspiegel's  ear  : 

"  'T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert — it  is  time  to  rattle  the 
236 


She  of  the  Brocaded  Gown 

glasses."  Then,  in  his  ordinary  tone  of  voice,  and  pointing 
at  the  constables : 

"  Gentle  Reformer,"  he  said,  "  we  are  all  on  your  side. 
Stand  us  some  food  and  drink,  won't  you  ?  " 

And  La  Stevenyne  laughed  with  pleasure,  and  put  out  her 
tongue  at  Ulenspiegel  when  his  back  was  turned.  And  La 
Gilline,  she  of  the  brocaded  gown,  she  also  put  out  her  tongue 
at  Ulenspiegel,  and  the  girls  all  began  to  whisper  one  to 
another :  "  Behold  the  spy  that  by  her  beauty  draweth  men  to 
the  torture  and  bringeth  them  at  last  to  a  death  more  cruel 
even  than  torture.  Above  seven-and-twenty  Protestants  hath 
she  betrayed  already.  Gilline  is  her  name,  and  now  she  is  in 
a  rapture  of  joy  as  she  thinks  of  the  reward  she  will  get  for 
her  information — the  first  hundred  caroluses,  to  wit,  from  the 
estate  of  each  of  her  victims.  But  she  will  not  laugh  when 
she  bethinketh  her  that  she  must  share  one-half  of  the  spoil 
with  La  Stevenyne  !  " 

And  every  one  there  present — the  constables,  the  butchers, 
and  the  girls  themselves — put  out  their  tongues  in  mockery  of 
Ulenspiegel.  And  Lamme  sweated  great  drops  of  sweat,  and 
became  red  with  anger  like  the  crest  of  a  cock.  But  he  would 
not  let  himself  say  a  word. 

"  Come,  stand  us  food  and  drink,"  said  the  butchers  and 
the  constables. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  jingling  yet  again  the 
money  in  his  purse.  "  Bring  us  meat  and  drink,  my  sweet 
Stevenyne ;  bring  us  drink  in  glasses  that  can  sing  !  " 

At  this  the  girls  began  to  laugh  anew  ;  but  La  Stevenyne 
went  down  to  the  cellar  and  brought  back  with  her  ham, 
sausages,  black-pudding  omelettes,  and  some  of  those  singing 
glasses,  that  are  so  called  because  they  are  mounted  on  tall 
stems  and  can  be  made  to  resound  like  a  bell  when  some  one 
strikes  them.  Then  Ulenspiegel  said  : 

"  Let  him  who  is  hungry  eat,  and  he  who  is  thirsty  let  him 
drink  !  "  And  the  constables,  the  girls,  the  butchers,  Gilline, 

237 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

and  La  Stevenyne  applauded  these  words  of  Ulenspiegel, 
clapping  their  hands  and  stamping  their  feet ;  and  then  they 
all  sat  down  to  the  feast.  Ulenspiegel,  Lamme,  and  the  seven 
butchers  sat  at  the  big  table  of  honour,  the  constables  and  the 
girls  at  two  smaller  tables  ;  and  they  ate  and  drank  right 
heartily.  And  the  constables  invited  their  two  comrades,  who 
had  been  waiting  outside  the  house,  to  come  in  and  join  them. 

La  Stevenyne  said  with  a  snigger : 

"  Remember,  no  one  can  leave  till  he  has  paid  me." 

And  she  went  and  locked  all  the  doors,  and  put  the  keys 
in  her  pocket. 

At  this  La  Gilline  raised  her  glass. 

"  The  bird  is  in  its  cage,"  she  cried.     "  Let  us  drink." 

But  two  of  the  girls,  whose  names  were  Gena  and  Margot, 
said  to  her  : 

"  Is  this  yet  another  man  that  you  are  going  to  lure  to  his 
death,  you  wicked  one  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,"  said  Gilline ;  "  let  us  drink." 

But  the  girls  would  not  drink  with  her. 

And  Gilline  took  her  viola  and  sang  in  French  this  song : 

Au  son  de  la  viole, 
Je  chante  nuit  et  jour  ; 
Je  suis  lafille-folle, 
La  vendeuse  $  amour. 

Astarte  de  mes  hanches 
Fit  les  lignes  de  feu; 
J'ai  les  epaules  blanches^ 
Et  mon  beau  corps  est  Dieu. 

Je  suis  froide  ou  brulante, 
lendre  au  doux  nonchaloir  : 
Tiede,  eperdue,  ardente, 
Mon  homme,  a  ton  vouloir. 
238 


Vois,je  vends  tout :  mes  charmes., 
Mon  ame  et  mes  yeux  bleus  ; 
Bonheur,  rires  et  larmes, 
Et  la  Mort  si  tu  veux. 

Au  son  de  la  viole, 
Je  chante  nuit  etjour  ; 
Je  suis  lafille-folle, 
La  vendeuse  d* amour. 

As  she  sang  this  song  La  Gilline  looked  so  beautiful,  so 
soft  and  fragrant,  that  all  the  men,  the  constables  and  the 
butchers,  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel  himself,  sat  smiling  there, 
quite  melted  and  overcome  by  her  charm. 

All  at  once  La  Gilline  gave  a  loud  laugh  and  fixed  her  gaze 
on  Ulenspiegel : 

"  And  it's  thus  that  the  birds  are  caged,"  she  said.  And 
the  spell  of  her  charm  was  broken. 

Ulenspiegel,  Lamme,  and  the  butchers  looked  at  one 
another. 

"  Well  now,"  said  La  Stevenyne,  "  are  you  going  to  pay 
the  bill,  my  Lord  Ulenspiegel  ?  " 

"  We  shall  pay  nothing  in  advance,"  said  he. 

"  Then  I  shall  pay  myself  later  on — out  of  your  in- 
heritance," said  La  Stevenyne.  After  that : 

"  Let  us  drink  !  "  she  cried. 

"  Let  us  drink  !  "  cried  the  constables. 

"  Let  us  drink ! "  cried  La  Stevenyne.  "  The  doors  are 
shut ;  the  windows  are  strongly  barred  ;  the  birds  are  in 
their  cage.  Let  us  drink  !  " 

"  Let  us  drink  then,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  And  bring  us 
wine  of  the  best  to  crown  the  banquet." 

La  Stevenyne  brought  in  more  wine.  And  now  they 
were  all  seated,  drinking  and  eating,  the  constables  and  the 
girls  together.  But  the  seven  butchers  were  at  the  same  table 

239 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

with  Ulenspiegel  and  Lamme,  and  they  kept  on  throwing 
pieces  of  ham,  and  sausages,  omelettes,  and  bottles  of  wine  to 
the  table  of  the  girls,  who  themselves  caught  the  food  in  mid- 
flight  as  carp  catch  the  flies  that  buzz  on  the  surface  of  a  fish- 
pond. And  La  Stevenyne  laughed  and  grinned,  and  pointed 
to  the  packets  of  candles  which  hung  over  the  counter. 
And  these  were  the  candles  that  the  gay  girls  were  used  to 
purchase,  five  to  the  pound.  Then  La  Stevenyne  said  to 
Ulenspiegel : 

"  On  his  way  to  the  stake  it  is  the  custom  for  the  con- 
demned man  to  carry  a  wax  candle.  Shall  I  make  you  a 
present  of  one  ?  " 

"  Let  us  drink !  "  said  Ulenspiegel. 

But  La  Gilline  said  :  "  Look  at  Ulenspiegel's  eyes.  They 
are  shining  like  the  eyes  of  a  swan  that  is  about  to  die." 

"  Wouldn't  you  like  to  eat  one  of  the  candles  ?  "  said  La 
Stevenyne.  "  They  would  serve  you  in  hell  to  lighten  your 
eternal  damnation." 

"  I  see  clearly  enough  to  admire  your  ugly  mug,"  said 
Ulenspiegel. 

Suddenly  he  struck  the  stem  of  his  wine-glass  and  clapped 
his  hands  together  with  a  rhythm  like  that  an  upholsterer 
uses  when  he  beats  the  wool  of  a  mattress  with  his  stick. 

"  'T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert"  he  said;  "  it  is  time  to 
make  the  glasses  shiver — the  glasses  which  resound.  .  .  ." 

And  this,  in  Flanders,  is  the  signal  that  the  drinkers 
make  when  they  are  angry,  and  when  they  are  like  to  ransack 
and  despoil  in  their  wrath  the  houses  of  ill  fame.  So  even 
now  did  Ulenspiegel  raise  his  glass  and  drink,  and  then  did 
he  made  it  vibrate  upon  the  table,  crying  yet  again : 

"  'T  is  vante  beven  de  klinkaert" 

And  the  seven  butchers  did  likewise. 

Then  a  great  stillness  fell  upon  the  company.     La  Gilline 
grew  pale ;  La  Stevenyne  looked  astonished.    The  constables 
said  : 
240 


"  T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert ' 

"  Are  the  seven  with  them  too  ?  "  But  the  butchers 
winked  their  eyes  and  reassured  them  ;  yet  all  the  time  they 
continued  without  ceasing,  and  louder  and  louder  as  Ulen- 
spiegel  led  them  : 

"  'T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert.  'T  is  van  te  beven  de  klin- 
kaert." 

La  Stevenyne  took  another  draught  of  wine  to  give  herself 
courage. 

Then  Ulenspiegel  struck  his  fist  on  the  table  in  that 
regular  rhythm  which  the  upholsterers  use  as  they  beat  their 
mattresses  ;  and  the  seven  did  likewise  ;  and  the  glasses, 
jugs,  trenchers,  flagons,  and  goblets  began  to  dance  upon  the 
table,  slowly  at  first,  but  beginning  soon  to  knock  against 
each  other,  and  to  break  and  to  heel  over  on  one  side  as  they 
fell.  And  all  the  time  echoed  and  re-echoed,  more  sternly 
menacing,  with  every  ^monotonous  repetition  : 

"  'T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert" 

"Alas  !  "  said  La  Stevenyne,  "  they  will  break  everything." 
And  her  teeth  seemed  to  show  farther  out  from  her  lips  than 
ever.  And  the  hot  blood  of  their  fury  and  of  their  anger 
began  to  flame  in  the  souls  of  the  seven  butchers,  and  in  the 
souls  of  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel.  Till  at  last,  without 
ceasing  once  their  melancholy  and  monotonous  chant,  all 
they  that  were  sitting  at  Ulenspiegel's  table  took  their 
glasses,  and  brake  them  upon  the  table,  and  at  the  same 
moment  they  drew  their  cutlasses  and  leapt  upon  the  chairs. 
And  they  made  such  a  din  with  their  song  that  all  the  windows 
in  the  house  shook.  Then  like  a  band  of  infuriated  devils 
they  went  round  the  room,  visiting  each  table  in  turn,  crying 
without  ceasing : 

"  '7"  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert." 

And  the  constables  rose  up  trembling  with  terror  and 
seized  their  ropes  and  chains.  But  the  butchers,  together 
with  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel,  thrust  their  knives  quickly 
back  into  their  cases,  and  sprang  up  to  run  nimbly  through 

Q  241 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

the  chamber,  hitting  out  right  and  left  with  their  chairs  as 
though  they  had  been  cudgels.  And  they  spared  nothing  there 
except  the  girls,  for  everything  else  they  brake  in  pieces 
— furniture,  windows,  chests,  plates,  pots,  trenchers,  glasses, 
and  flagons,  hitting  out  at  the  constables  without  mercy, 
and  crying  out  all  the  time  in  the  rhythm  of  the  mattress- 
beaters  :  "  'T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert.  'T  is  van  te  beven  de 
klinkaert"  And  Ulenspiegel,  who  had  given  La  Stevenyne 
a  blow  on  the  nose  with  his  fist,  and  had  taken  all  her  keys  and 
put  them  into  his  satchel,  was  now  amusing  himself  by  forcing 
her  to  eat  those  candles  of  hers.  And  the  girls  laughed  at 
the  sight  of  her  as  she  sneezed  with  anger  and  tried  to  spit 
out  the  candles — but  in  vain,  for  her  mouth  was  too  full. 
And  all  the  time  Ulenspiegel  and  the  seven  butchers  did  not 
cease  the  rhythm  of  their  dire  refrain  :  "  'T  is  van  te  beven  de 
klinkaert"  But  at  last  Ulenspiegel  made  a  sign,  and  when 
silence  had  at  last  been  restored  he  spake,  saying  : 

"  You  are  here,  my  friends,  in  our  power.  It  is  a  dark 
night  and  the  River  Lys  is  close  at  hand,  where  a  man  drowns 
easily  if  he  is  once  pushed  in.  And  the  gates  of  Courtrai  are 
shut."  Then  turning  to  the  seven  butchers  : 

"  You  are  bound  for  Peteghen,  to  join  the  Beggar- 
men  ?  " 

"  We  were  ready  to  go  there  when  the  news  came  to  us 
that  you  were  here." 

"  And  from  Peteghen  you  were  going  to  the  sea  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  they  said. 

"  Do  you  think  there  are  one  or  two  among  these  con- 
stables whom  it  would  be  safe  to  release  for  our  service  ?  " 

"  There  are  two,"  they  said,  "  Niklaes  and  Joos  by 
name,  who  have  never  as  yet  been  guilty  of  persecuting  the 
poor  Reformers." 

"  You  can  trust  us  !  "  said  Niklaes  and  Joos. 

"  Very  well  then,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  Here  are  twenty 
caroluses  for  you,  twice  as  much,  that  is,  as  you  would  have 
242 


T  7S  VAN  TE  SEVEN 
DE  KLINKAERT  " 


Chivalry  of  Ulenspiegel 

got  for  an  act  of  shameful  betrayal."  And  at  that  the  other 
five  constables  cried  out  as  one  man : 

"  Twenty  florins  !  We  will  serve  the  Prince  for  twenty 
florins.  The  King's  pay  is  bad.  Only  give  us  half  as  much  and 
we  will  tell  the  judge  any  tale  you  please."  But  Lamme  and 
the  butchers  kept  muttering  under  their  breath  : 

"  ^1  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert.  "T  is  van  te  beven  de 
klinkaert." 

"  In  order  that  you  may  be  kept  from  too  much  talking," 
Ulenspiegel  continued,  "  the  seven  will  lead  you  in  hand- 
cuffs to  Peteghen,  and  there  you  will  be  given  over  into  the 
hands  of  the  Beggarmen.  The  florins  will  be  handed  to  you 
at  sea,  and  if  you  prove  brave  in  battle  you  will  have  your 
share  of  the  spoil.  If  you  attempt  to  desert  you  will  be 
hanged." 

"  We  will  serve  him  who  pays  us,"  they  said. 

"  "Z"  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert !  "T  is  van  te  beven  de 
klinkaert"  murmured  the  seven. 

"  You  will  also  take  with  you,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  La 
Gilline,  La  Stevenyne  and  the  girls.  If  any  one  of  them 
tries  to  escape  you  will  sew  her  in  a  sack  and  throw  her 
into  the  river." 

"  He  has  not  killed  me  yet !  "  cried  La  Gilline,  jumping 
up  from  her  corner  and  brandishing  her  viola  in  the  air. 
And  she  began  to  sing  : 

Sanglant  etait  mon  reve. 
Le  reve  de  mon  cceur. 
Je  suis  lajille  d'Eve 
Et  de  Satan  vainqueur. 

But  La  Stevenyne  and  the  others  seemed  as  if  they  were 
going  to  cry. 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  my  sweets,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  You 
are  so  pretty  and  so  tender  that  all  men  will  love  to  caress  you 
wherever  you  go,  and  after  every  victory  you  will  have  your 

243 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

share  in  the  spoils."     But  the  three  girls  turned  upon  La 
Gilline: 

"  You  that  were  her  daughter,  her  breadwinner,  sharing 
with  La  Stevenyne  the  shameful  rewards  of  her  espionage, 
do  you  still  dare  to  flaunt  yourself  before  us  and  to  insult  us 
with  your  dress  of  brocade  ?  Verily  it  is  the  blood  of  the 
victims  and  nothing  else  that  has  clothed  you  so  richly.  But 
now  let  us  take  her  dress  from  her,  so  she  may  be  like  to  us." 

"  That  shall  not  be,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

And  the  girls  looked  jealously  at  Ulenspiegel,  saying  : 

"  He  is  mad  about  her,  like  all  the  rest." 

And  La  Gilline  played  upon  her  viola  and  sang,  and  the 
seven  butchers  departed  for  Peteghen,  taking  with  them  the 
constables  and  the  girls.  And  they  passed  along  by  the 
River  Lys.  And  as  they  went  they  kept  muttering  : 

"  *T  is  van  te  beven  de  klinkaert !  "T  is  van  te  beven  de 
klinkaert !  "  And  at  break  of  day  they  came  to  the  camp, 
and  sang  out  like  the  lark  and  were  answered  straightway  by  a 
cockcrow.  The  girls  and  the  constables  were  put  under  a 
strong  guard,  but  in  spite  of  these  precautions  La  Gilline  was 
found  dead  at  noon  on  the  third  day,  her  heart  pierced  by  a 
long  needle.  The  three  girls  accused  La  Stevenyne  of  having 
done  this  deed,  and  she  was  brought  before  the  captain. 
There  she  confessed  that  she  had  committed  the  crime  out  of 
jealousy  and  anger  at  the  way  the  girl  had  treated  her.  And 
La  Stevenyne  was  hanged  and  buried  in  the  wood. 

La  Gilline  also  was  buried,  and  prayers  were  said  over  her 
sweet  body. 

XXIV 

Warm  was  the  air,  and  not  a  breath  of  wind  was  wafted 
from  the  calm  sea.  The  trees  on  the  Damme  canal  were 
motionless,  and  the  grasshoppers  were  busy  in  the  meadows, 
while  from  many  a  church  and  abbey  the  men  came  into  the 
fields  to  fetch  that  "  thirteenth  part  of  the  harvest "  which 
was  claimed  by  the  cures  and  the  abbes  who  lived  round  about. 
244 


Tyl  comes  Home 

From  the  depths  of  a  blue  and  blazing  sky  the  sun  poured 
down  his  heat,  and  Nature  slept  beneath  that  radiance  like 
some  beautiful  girl  that  has  swooned  away  beneath  the 
caresses  of  her  lover. 

From  far  off,  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel  descried  the  high, 
square,  massive  tower  of  Notre  Dame,  and  Lamme  said : 

"  There,  my  son,  is  the  home  both  of  your  loves  and  of 
your  sorrows."  But  Ulenspiegel  made  no  answer. 

"  In  a  little  while,"  continued  Lamme,  "  I  shall  be  seeing 
my  old  home,  and  perhaps  my  wife !  "  But  Ulenspiegel  did 
not  answer. 

"  You  man  of  wood,"  said  Lamme,  "  you  heart  of  stone, 
will  nothing  move  you — neither  the  near  approach  to  the 
place  where  you  passed  your  childhood,  nor  yet  the  dear 
memory  of  poor  Claes  and  Soetkin,  the  two  martyrs  ?  What ! 
You  are  not  sad,  neither  are  you  merry ;  who  can  it  be  that 
has  thus  hardened  your  heart  ?  Look  at  me,  how  anxious 
and  uneasy  I  am,  and  how  my  belly  heaves  with  nervousness  ; 
look  at  me  I  say  !  " 

But  Lamme  looked  at  Ulenspiegel  and  saw  that  his  face 
was  drawn  and  pale,  and  his  lips  were  trembling  with  tears,  and 
he  said  not  a  word.  And  now  Lamme  also  held  his  peace. 

They  walked  along  in  this  way  without  speaking  till 
they  came  to  Damme,  which  they  entered  by  the  rue 
Heron  ;  and  they  saw  no  one  about  because  of  the  heat. 
Only  the  dogs  lay  on  their  sides  on  the  doorsteps  of  many  a 
house,  gasping,  with  their  tongues  out,  while  Lamme  and 
Ulenspiegel  passed  right  in  front  of  the  Town  Hall  where 
Claes  had  been  burnt  to  death ;  and  here  the  lips  of  Ulen- 
spiegel trembled  the  more,  and  his  tears  dried  up.  And  at 
last  they  were  come  to  the  house  of  Claes  himself,  which  was 
now  occupied  by  a  master  charcoal-burner.  Ulenspiegel 
entered  in  and  said  : 

"  Do  you  recognize  me  ?  I  would  wish  to  rest  here 
a  while." 

245 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

The  master  charcoal-burner  answered  : 

"  I  recognize  you.  You  are  the  son  of  the  victim.  You 
are  free  in  this  house  to  go  wheresoever  you  will." 

Ulenspiegel  went  into  the  kitchen,  and  then  upstairs  into 
the  room  of  Claes  and  Soetkin,  and  there  he  shed  many  tears. 

When  he  had  come  down  again,  the  master  charcoal- 
burner  said  to  him  :  "  Here  is  bread,  cheese,  and  beer.  If  you 
are  hungry,  eat.  If  you  are  thirsty,  drink." 

But  Ulenspiegel  made  a  gesture  to  the  effect  that  he  was 
neither  hungry  nor  thirsty,  and  he  left  the  house  and  came 
with  Lamme  to  Katheline's  cottage,  and  there  they  tethered 
their  donkeys  and  straightway  entered  in.  It  was  the  hour 
of  the  midday  meal.  On  the  table  was  a  dish  of  broad 
beans  in  their  pods  together  with  some  white  beans.  Kathe- 
line  was  busy  eating,  while  Nele  was  standing  by  her  ready  to 
pour  into  Katheline's  plate  some  vinegar  sauce  which  she 
had  just  taken  off  the  fire.  When  Ulenspiegel  came  into  the 
room  Nele  was  so  startled  that  she  put  the  sauce,  and  the  pot 
and  all,  into  Katheline's  platter.  And  Katheline  kept  on 
wagging  her  head,  and  picking  out  the  broad  beans  with 
her  spoon  from  the  trencher,  striking  her  forehead  the  while 
and  crying  ever  like  one  mad  : 

"  Put  out  the  fire  !     My  head  is  burning  !  " 

And  the  smell  of  the  vinegar  made  Lamme  feel  hungry. 
But  Ulenspiegel  stood  still  where  he  was,  gazing  at  Nele  and 
smiling  for  love  of  her  despite  his  great  sorrow. 

And  Nele,  without  a  word  of  greeting,  flung  her  arms  round 
his  neck.  And  she  also  seemed  like  one  bereft  of  sense. 
For  she  cried  and  laughed,  and  blushing  as  she  was  with  her 
great  and  sweet  happiness,  she  could  only  say :  "  Tyl ! 
Tyl !  " 

Ulenspiegel,  happy  now  in  his  turn,  gazed  into  her  eyes. 
Then  she  let  go  of  him  and  stepped  back  a  pace  or  two,  gazed 
at  him  joyfully  in  her  turn,  and  then  threw  herself  on  him 
again,  clasping  her  arms  round  his  neck,  and  so  many  times 
246 


Betkin 

and  again.  And  he  suffered  her  gladly,  powerless  to  tear 
himself  away  from  her,  till  at  last  she  fell  into  a  chair,  tired 
out  and  like  one  bereft  of  her  senses,  and  she  said  without 
shame  : 

"  Tyl !  Tyl,  my  beloved  !  Here  you  are  come  back  to 
me  again  !  " 

Lamme  meanwhile  was  standing  at  the  door ;  but  when 
Nele  had  recovered  herself  a  little,  she  pointed  to  him, 
saying  : 

"  Where  have  I  seen  this  fat  man  ?  " 

"  He  is  my  friend,"  Ulenspiegel  told  her.  "  He  goes 
seeking  his  wife  in  my  company." 

"  I  know  you,"  said  Nele  to  Lamme.  "  You  used  to 
live  in  the  rue  Heron.  You  are  seeking  for  your  wife  ? 
Well,  I  have  seen  her.  She  is  living  at  Bruges  in  all  piety 
and  devotion,  and  when  I  asked  her  why  she  had  left  her 
husband  so  unkindly,  she  answered  that  it  was  by  the  Holy 
Will  of  God  and  at  the  command  of  Holy  Penance,  and 
that  she  could  never  live  with  her  husband  again." 

At  these  words  Lamme  was  sad,  but  his  eyes  wandered  to 
the  beans  and  vinegar.  And  outside  the  larks  sang  as  they 
flew  upwards  into  the  sky,  and  all  Nature  swooned  away 
under  the  caress  of  her  Lord  the  Sun.  And  Katheline  kept 
stirring  with  her  spoon  that  pot  of  beans  and  sauce. 

XXV 

Now,  in  those  days  a  damsel  some  fifteen  years  of  age  was 
going  from  Heyst  to  Knokke,  alone  in  the  middle  of  the  day, 
by  the  sand-dunes.  No  one  had  any  fear  for  her  for  they 
knew  that  the  wolves  and  wicked  spirits  of  the  damned  go 
biting  their  victims  only  in  the  night.  The  damsel  carried  a 
satchel  wherein  were  forty-eight  gold  coins  of  the  value  of 
four  florins  carolus,  being  the  sum  owed  by  the  girl's  mother, 
Toria  Pieterson,  who  lived  at  Heyst,  to  her  uncle,  Jan  Rapen 
of  Knokke,  on  account  of  a  sale.  The  girl's  name  was  Betkin, 

247 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

and  she  was  wearing  her  best  clothes,  and  she  went  on  her  way 
most  happily. 

The  same  evening,  seeing  that  she  did  not  return,  her 
mother  became  anxious,  but  reassured  herself  with  the 
thought  that  the  girl  must  have  stayed  the  night  with  her 
uncle. 

On  the  morrow,  certain  fishermen  on  their  way  back  from 
the  sea  with  a  boat-load  of  fish,  drew  their  boat  on  to  the  beach 
and  unloaded  their  catch,  which  they  would  sell  at  auction 
by  the  cart-load  at  the  Minque  of  Heyst.  They  went  up  the 
road  along  the  dunes,  all  strewn  with  shells,  and  presently 
came  upon  a  young  girl,  stripped  naked  even  to  her  chemise, 
with  traces  of  blood  all  about  her.  Coming  nearer  they 
found  upon  her  neck  the  horrid  marks  of  long  sharp  teeth. 
She  was  lying  on  her  back  with  her  eyes  wide  open  gazing 
up  into  the  sky,  and  her  mouth  was  open  also  as  if  with  the 
cry  of  death  itself  ! 

Covering  the  girl's  body  with  an  opperst-kleed  they  brought 
it  to  Heyst,  to  the  Town  Hall,  and  there  quickly  assembled 
the  aldermen  and  the  leech,  who  declared  that  the  long 
teeth  that  had  made  those  marks  were  no  teeth  of  a  wolf  as 
known  in  nature,  but  rather  of  some  wicked  and  devilish 
werwolf,  and  that  it  behoved  them  now  to  pray  God  one  and 
all  that  he  would  deliver  the  land  of  Flanders. 

And  in  all  that  country,  and  notably  at  Damme,  at  Heyst, 
and  at  Knokke,  prayers  and  orisons  were  ordered  to  be  made. 

But  Ulenspiegel  went  to  the  town  bailiff  and  said  to  him  : 
"  I  will  go  and  kill  the  werwolf." 

"  What  gives  you  this  confidence  ?  "  asked  the  bailiff. 

"  The  ashes  beat  upon  my  heart,"  Ulenspiegel  replied. 
"  Only  give  me  leave  to  labour  a  while  at  the  forge  of  the 
commune." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  bailiff. 

Ulenspiegel,  without  telling  a  word  concerning  his  project 
to  any  man  or  woman  in  Damme,  betook  him  to  the  forge, 
248 


THE  DEATH  OF  BETKIN 


A  Trap  for  the  Werwolf 

and  there,  in  secret,  he  fashioned  a  fine  and  a  strong  trap 
such  as  those  traps  which  are  made  to  catch  wild  beasts. 

On  the  following  day,  which  was  a  Saturday,  day  beloved 
of  werwolves,  Ulenspiegel  armed  himself  with  a  letter  from 
the  bailiff  to  the  cure  of  Heyst,  together  with  the  trap  which 
he  carried  under  his  cloak,  as  well  as  a  good  crossbow  and  a 
well-sharpened  cutlass.  Thus  provided,  he  departed  on  his 
way,  saying  to  those  in  Damme  : 

"  I  am  going  out  to  hunt  the  seagulls,  and  of  their  down 
will  I  make  a  soft  pillow  for  madame  the  wife  of  the  bailiff." 

Now  before  he  reached  Heyst,  he  came  out  on  to  the  sea- 
shore. The  sea  was  rough  and  boisterous,  and  he  heard  the 
great  waves  growling  like  thunder,  and  the  wind  that  blew 
from  England  whistling  in  the  rigging  of  the  boats  that  were 
stranded  on  the  beach.  A  fisherman  said  to  him  : 

"  This  bad  wind  will  be  our  ruin.  Last  night  the  sea  was 
calm,  but  at  sunrise  she  suddenly  swelled  with  anger.  And 
to-day  we  shall  not  be  able  to  go  out  fishing."  Ulenspiegel 
was  pleased  at  this,  for  he  knew  that  now  he  would  be  sure  of 
some  assistance  if  need  arose.  At  Heyst  he  went  straight 
to  the  cure  and  presented  the  letter  that  the  bailiff  had  given 
him.  The  cure  said  : 

"  You  are  a  brave  man,  but  let  me  tell  you  that  no  one 
goes  along  the  dunes  on  Saturday  nights  without  being  bitten 
by  the  werwolf  and  left  dead  on  the  sands.  Even  the  men 
who  are  at  work  on  the  dikes  never  go  there  except  in  a  party. 
The  evening  is  coming  on.  Do  you  not  hear  the  werwolf 
howling  in  his  valley  ?  Perchance  he  will  come  again  into 
the  cemetery,  even  as  he  came  last  night,  howling  most 
horribly  through  all  the  hours  of  darkness  !  God  be  with  you, 
my  son.  But  go  not  there."  And  the  cure  crossed  himself. 

"  The  ashes  beat  upon  my  heart,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

The  cure  said  : 

"  Because  you  have  so  brave  a  spirit  I  will  help  you." 

"  Monsieur  le  Cure,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  you  will  be 

249 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

doing  a  great  kindness,  as  well  to  me  as  to  this  poor  desolated 
land  of  ours,  if  you  will  go  to  Toria,  the  dead  girl's  mother, 
and  to  her  two  brothers  also,  and  tell  them  that  the  wolf  is 
near  at  hand,  and  that  I  am  going  out  to  wait  for  it  and  kill  it." 

The  cure  said  : 

"  If  you  want  to  know  where  you  should  lie  in  wait,  let 
me  advise  you  to  keep  along  by  the  path  which  leads  to  the 
cemetery.  It  runs  between  two  hedges  of  broom.  It  is  so 
narrow  two  men  could  scarcely  walk  abreast." 

"  I  understand,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  And  you,  brave  cure, 
will  you  tell  the  girl's  mother  and  her  husband  and  her 
brothers  to  come  themselves  and  wait  together  in  the  church 
about  the  hour  of  the  curfew.  There,  if  they  hear  a  cry  like 
the  cry  of  a  seagull,  it  will  mean  that  I  have  seen  the  wer- 
wolf. Then  they  must  sound  the  wacharm  on  the  bell,  and 
come  fast  to  my  assistance.  And  if  there  are  any  other 
brave  men  .  .  ." 

"  There  are  none,  my  son,"  replied  the  cure.  "  The 
fishermen  are  less  afraid  of  the  plague  and  of  death  itself 
than  of  the  werwolf.  Do  not  go,  I  beseech  you."  f 

Ulenspiegel  answered  : 

"  The  ashes  beat  upon  my  heart." 

And  the  cure  said  to  him  : 

"  I  will  do  as  you  bid.  God  bless  you.  Are  you  hungry 
or  thirsty  ?  " 

"  Both,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

The  cure  gave  him  some  beer,  some  bread,  and  some  cheese, 
and  Ulenspiegel  when  he  had  eaten  and  drunk  went  his  way. 

And  as  he  walked  along  he  raised  his  eyes  and  beheld 
Claes,  his  father,  seated  in  glory  at  the  side  of  God  in  heaven 
where  the  moon  shone  so  brightly.  And  thereafter  he  gazed 
upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  clouds,  and  he  heard  the  wind  that 
came  blowing  stormily  from  England. 

"  Alas  !  "  he  cried,  "  O  Dusky  Clouds  that  pass  along  so 
rapidly  yonder  in  the  sky,  be  you  now  for  a  vengeance  on  the 
250 


At  the  Cemetery 

murderer.  And  you,  O  Wind  that  whistles  so  sadly  in  the 
gorse  along  the  dunes  and  in  the  rigging  of  the  ships,  be  you 
now  the  voice  of  the  victims  that  cry  to  God  that  he  should 
help  me  on  in  this  enterprise." 

And  so  saying  he  came  down  into  the  valley,  stumbling 
as  if  he  had  been  a  drunken  man  ;  and  he  began  to  sing, 
hiccuping  all  the  time,  staggering  from  side  to  side,  yawning, 
spitting,  and  then  standing  still  and  pretending  to  be  sick. 
But  all  the  time  he  was  keeping  his  eyes  wide  open,  and  peer- 
ing this  way  and  that,  for  he  had  heard  the  sharp  sound  as 
of  a  wolf  howling.  Then,  as  he  stood  there  vomiting  like  a 
dog,  he  descried  the  long  outline  of  a  wolf  moving  towards 
the  cemetery  in  the  bright  light  of  the  moon. 

At  that  he  lurched  on  again,  and  came  into  the  path 
between  the  hedges  of  broom.  There  he  pretended  to  fall 
down,  and  as  he  did  so,  he  placed  his  trap  upon  the  side  from 
which  the  wolf  was  coming.  Then  he  loaded  his  crossbow, 
and  went  forward  about  ten  paces,  standing  up  again  in  a 
drunken  posture.  He  still  went  on  staggering  to  right  and  to 
left,  nor  did  he  cease  to  retch  and  to  hiccup,  but  all  the  time 
his  mind  was  taut  as  a  bowstring,  and  he  was  all  eyes  and 
ears  for  what  might  be  going  to  happen.  Yet  he  saw  nothing 
save  the  dark  clouds  racing  in  the  sky,  and  again  that  large 
and  heavy  form  of  blackness  coming  down  the  path  towards 
him.  Neither  did  he  hear  aught  but  the  dismal  wailing  of 
the  wind,  and  the  angry  thunder  of  the  sea,  and  the  sound 
that  the  shells  on  the  path  gave  forth  beneath  a  heavy  step 
that  tapped  upon  them.  Feigning  to  be  about  to  sit  down, 
Ulenspiegel  fell  forwards  on  to  the  path,  very  heavily  like 
a  drunken  man.  After  that  he  heard  as  it  were  a  piece  of 
iron  clinking  close  to  his  ear,  and  then  the  sound  of  the  trap 
shutting,  and  a  human  voice  that  cried  out  in  the  darkness. 

"  The  werwolf,"  said  Ulenspiegel  to  himself.  "  He's 
got  his  front  paws  caught  in  the  trap.  Now  he  is  howling 
and  trying  to  run  away,  dragging  the  trap  with  him.  But  he 

251 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

shall  not  escape."     And  he  drew  his  crossbow  and  shot  an 
arrow  at  the  legs  of  the  werwolf. 

"  He's  wounded  now,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  and  he  has 
fallen  down." 

Thereupon  he  whistled  like  a  seagull,  and  straightway 
the  church  bell  clanged  out  from  the  village  and  a  boy's  shrill 
voice  was  heard  crying  from  afar  off  : 

"  Awake !  Awake,  you  sleepers !  The  werwolf  is 
caught." 

"  Praise  be  to  God,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

Now  the  first  to  arrive  on  the  scene  of  the  capture  were 
Toria  the  mother  of  Betkin,  and  Lansaen  her  husband,  and 
her  two  brothers  Josse  and  Michael.  And  they  brought 
lanterns  with  them. 

"  You  have  caught  him  ?  "  they  asked. 

"  Look  on  the  path,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Praise  be  to  God,"  they  exclaimed,  crossing  themselves. 

"  Who  is  it  that  is  calling  out  the  news  in  the  village  ?  " 
asked  Ulenspiegel. 

"  It  is  my  eldest  boy,"  Lansaen  answered.  "  The 
youngster  is  running  through  the  village  knocking  on  all  the 
doors  and  crying  out  that  the  wolf  is  caught.  Praise  be  to 
thee  !  " 

"  The  ashes  beat  upon  my  heart,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

Suddenly  the  werwolf  began  to  speak  : 

"  Have  mercy  on  me  !     Have  mercy,  Ulenspiegel !  " 

"  This  wolf  can  talk  !  "  they  exclaimed,  crossing  them- 
selves again.  "  He  is  a  devil  in  very  truth,  and  knows 
Ulenspiegel' s  name  already  !  " 

"  Have  mercy  !  Have  mercy  !  "  the  voice  cried  again. 
"  I  am  no  wolf.  Order  the  bell  to  stop  ringing.  For  thus 
it  is  that  it  tolls  for  the  dead.  And  my  wrists  are  torn  by  the 
trap.  I  am  old  and  I  am  bleeding.  Have  mercy !  And 
what  is  this — this  shrill  voice  of  a  child  awakening  all  the 
village  ?  Oh  pray,  have  mercy  !  " 
252 


The  W^olf  that  talked 

"  I  have  heard  your  voice  before,"  said  Ulenspiegel 
passionately.  "  You  are  the  fishmonger.  The  murderer  of 
Claes,  the  vampire  that  preys  upon  poor  maids !  Have  no 
fear,  good  mother  and  father.  This  is  none  other  than  the 
Dean  of  the  Fishmongers  on  whose  account  poor  Soetkin  died 
of  grief."  And  with  one  hand  he  held  the  man  fast  by  the 
neck,  and  with  the  other  he  drew  out  his  cutlass. 

But  Toria  the  mother  of  Betkin  prevented  him. 

"  Take  him  alive,"  cried  she.  "  Take  him  alive.  Let 
him  pay !  " 

Meanwhile  there  were  many  fisherfolk,  men  and  women  of 
Heyst,  who  were  come  out  at  the  news  that  the  werwolf 
was  taken  and  that  he  was  no  devil  but  a  man.  Some  of 
these  carried  lanterns  and  flaming  torches,  and  all  of  them 
cried  aloud  when  they  saw  him  : 

"  Thief !  Murderer !  Where  hide  you  the  gold  that 
you  have  stolen  from  your  poor  victims  ?  " 

"  He  shall  repay  it  all,"  said  Toria.  And  she  would  have 
beaten  him  in  her  rage  had  she  not  fallen  down  there  and 
then  upon  the  sand  in  a  mad  fury  like  unto  one  dead.  And 
they  left  her  there  until  she  came  to  herself. 

And  Ulenspiegel,  sad  at  heart,  beheld  the  clouds  racing 
like  mad  things  in  the  sky,  and  out  at  sea  the  white  crests 
of  the  waves,  and  on  the  ground  at  his  feet  the  white  face  of 
the  fishmonger  that  looked  up  at  him  in  the  light  of  the 
lantern  with  cruel  eyes.  And  the  ashes  beat  upon  his  heart. 

And  they  walked  for  four  hours,  and  came  to  Damme 
where  was  a  great  crowd  assembled  that  already  was  aware  of 
what  had  happened.  Every  one  desired  to  see  the  fishmonger, 
and  they  pressed  round  the  fishermen  and  fisherwives, 
crying  out  and  singing  and  dancing  and  saying :  "  The 
werwolf  is  caught !  He  is  caught,  the  murderer  !  Blessed 
be  Ulenspiegel !  Long  live  our  brother  Ulenspiegel ! — Lange 
leve  onsen  breeder  Ulenspiegel"  And  it  was  like  a  popular 
rising.  And  when  the  crowd  passed  in  front  of  the  bailiff's 

253 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

house,  he  came  out,  hearing  the  noise,  and  said  to  Ulen- 
spiegel : 

"  You  are  the  conqueror  ;   all  praise  to  you  !  " 

"  It  was  the  ashes  of  Claes  that  beat  upon  my  heart,"  said 
Ulenspiegel. 

Then  the  bailiff  said  : 

"  Half  the  murderer's  fortune  shall  be  yours." 

"  Let  it  be  given  to  his  victims,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

Now  Lamme  and  Nele  were  there  too — Nele  laughing 
and  crying  with  joy  and  kissing  her  lover  ;  Lamme  jumping 
heavily  and  striking  his  belly  while  he  cried  out  at  the  same 
time  : 

"  Brave,  trusty,  and  true !  My  comrade,  my  well-beloved ! 
You  cannot  match  him  anywhere,  you  other  men  of  the  flat 
country." 

But  the  fisherfolk  laughed  and  made  mock  of  Lamme. 

XXVI 

The  great  bell,  the  Borgstorm,  rang  out  on  the  morrow  to 
summon  to  the  Fierschare  the  aldermen  and  the  clerks  of  the 
court.  There  they  sat  on  four  banks  of  turf  under  the  noble 
lime-tree  which  was  called  the  Tree  of  Justice.  And  round 
about  stood  the  common  people.  When  he  was  examined 
the  fishmonger  would  confess  nothing.  All  he  did  was  to 
repeat  continually : 

"  I  am  poor  and  old,  have  mercy  upon  me." 

But  the  people  howled  at  him,  saying : 

"  You  are  an  old  wolf,  destroyer  of  children  ;  have  no 
pity,  sir  judges." 

"  Let  him  pay  !     Let  him  pay  !  "  cried  Toria. 

But  the  fishmonger  entreated  again  most  piteously : 

"  I  am  poor.     Leave  me  alone." 

Then,  since  he  would  not  say  anything  of  his  own  free 
will,  he  was  condemned  to  be  tortured  until  he  should  confess 
how  he  had  committed  the  murders,  whence  he  came,  and 
254 


The  Confession  of  the  Fishmonger 

where  he  had  hidden  the  remains  of  the  victims  and  their 
money. 

So  now  he  was  brought  to  the  torture  chamber,  and  on  his 
feet  were  put  the  iron  shoes  of  torture,  and  the  bailiff  asked 
him  how  it  was  that  Satan  had  inspired  him  with  designs  so 
black  and  crimes  so  abominable.  Then  at  last  he  made 
answer  : 

"  Satan  is  myself,  my  essential  nature.  Even  as  a  child, 
ugly  as  I  was  and  unskilled  in  all  bodily  exercises,  I  was 
regarded  as  a  simpleton  by  every  one  and  was  continually 
being  beaten.  Neither  girl  nor  boy  had  any  pity  for  me, 
and  as  I  grew  up  no  woman  would  have  anything  to  do  with 
me,  not  even  for  payment.  So  I  conceived  a  hatred  for  the 
whole  human  race,  and  for  this  reason  I  betrayed  the  man 
Claes  who  was  beloved  by  all.  Thereafter  I  was  attracted 
more  than  ever  by  the  idea  of  living  like  a  wolf,  and  I  dreamed 
of  tearing  flesh  with  my  teeth.  And  I  killed  two  wolves  in 
the  woods  of  Raveschoet  and  Maldeghem,  and  I  sewed  to- 
gether their  two  skins  as  a  covering.  And  by  day  and  by 
night  I  wandered  along  the  sand-dunes,  and  especially  on 
Saturdays — the  day  of  the  market  at  Bruges." 

Then  the  bailiff  said  : 

"  Repent  and  pray  to  God." 

But  the  fishmonger  blasphemed,  saying  : 

"  It  is  God  himself  who  willed  me  to  be  as  I  am.  I  did  all 
in  spite  of  myself,  led  on  by  the  will  of  nature.  Evil  tigers 
that  you  are,  you  will  punish  me  unjustly." 

But  he  was  condemned  to  die  the  death,  and  Toria  cried 
aloud :  "  Justice  is  done.  He  shall  pay  the  penalty." 

And  all  the  people  cried  : 

"  Lang  leven  de  Heeren  van  ae  wet! — Long  live  the  Officers 
of  the  Law ! " 

The  next  morning  at  early  dawn,  as  they  were  bringing  him 
to  the  place  of  punishment,  he  saw  Ulenspiegel  standing  near 
the  pile  and  he  pointed  his  finger  at  him,  crying : 

255 


The  Legend  of  Ty/  Ulenspiegel 

"  There  is  a  man  who  ought  to  die  no  less  than  I.  For 
ten  years  ago  it  was  that  he  threw  me  into  the  Damme 
canal  because  I  had  denounced  his  father.  But  in  that  I  had 
acted  as  a  loyal  subject  to  His  Most  Catholic  Majesty." 

And  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame  tolled  for  the  dead. 

"  For  you  also  the  bells  are  tolling,"  said  he  to  Ulenspiegel. 
"  You  will  be  hanged.  For  you  have  committed  murder." 

"  Is  this  true  ?  "  demanded  the  bailiff. 

Ulenspiegel  answered  : 

"  I  threw  into  the  water  the  man  who  denounced  Claes 
and  was  the  cause  of  his  death.  The  ashes  of  my  father 
beat  upon  my  heart." 

And  the  women  that  were  in  the  crowd  said  to  him  : 

"  Why  confess  it,  Ulenspiegel  ?  No  one  saw  the  deed. 
But  now  you  also  will  die  the  death." 

And  the  prisoner  laughed  aloud,  leaping  in  the  air  with  a 
bitter  joy. 

"  He  will  die,"  he  said.  "  He  will  leave  this  earth  for 
hell.  He  will  die.  God  is  just."  .:-> 

"  He  shall  not  die,"  said  the  bailiff,  "  for  after  the  lapse 
of  ten  years  no  murderer  can  lawfully  be  brought  to  punish- 
ment in  the  land  of  Flanders.  Ulenspiegel  did  a  wicked  act, 
but  it  was  done  for  love  of  his  father  :  and  for  such  a  deed  as 
that  Ulenspiegel  shall  not  be  summoned  to  trial." 

"  Long  live  the  law ! "  cried  the  crowd.  "  Lang  leven  de  wet! " 

And  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame  tolled  for  the  dead.  And  the 
prisoner  ground  his  teeth  and  hung  his  head,  and  now  for  the 
first  time  he  let  fall  a  tear.  And  his  hand  was  cut  off  and  his 
tongue  pierced  with  a  red-hot  iron,  and  he  was  burned  alive 
in  a  slow  fire  in  front  of  the  Town  Hall. 

And  Toria  cried  out : 

"  He  is  paying  the  penalty  !  He  is  paying  the  penalty  ! 
See  how  they  writhe — those  arms  and  those  legs  which  helped 
him  to  his  murdering !  See  how  it  smokes,  the  body  of  this 
brute !  Burning  is  the  hair  of  him,  all  pallid  like  the  hair 
256 


On  the  Ice 

of  a  hyena,  and  burning  is  his  pallid  face.  He  pays  !  He 
pays !  " 

And  the  fishmonger  died,  howling  like  a  wolf. 

And  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame  tolled  for  the  dead. 

And  once  more  did  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel  ride  away  on 
their  donkeys.  And  Nele  stayed  behind  in  sorrow  with 
Katheline,  who  never  stopped  her  ceaseless  refrain  : 

"  Put  out  the  fire !  My  head  is  burning !  Come  back, 
come  back  to  me,  Hanske,  my  pet." 


XXVII 

Ulenspiegel  and  Lamme  had  come  to  Heyst-on-the-Dunes, 
and  behold  a  fleet  of  fishing-boats  that  were  come  hither 
from  Ostend  and  from  Blankenberghe  and  Knokke.  Filled 
they  were  with  men-at-arms,  the  followers  of  the  Beggarmen 
of  Zeeland,  who  carried  on  their  hats  a  silver  crescent  with 
this  inscription  :  "  Serve  rather  the  Turk  than  the  Pope." 

Ulenspiegel  is  glad ;  he  whistles  like  the  lark  and  from 
every  side  there  comes  to  answer  him  the  warlike  cock- 
crow. And  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel  go  aboard  one  of  the 
ships  and  are  carried  to  Emden  and  thence  to  Wieringen, 
where  their  ship  is  hemmed  in  by  the  ice.  For  by  now  it  is 
the  month  of  February. 

Now  all  around  the  ship  there  was  to  be  seen  the  most 
joyous  sight  imaginable  :  men  all  clad  in  velvet,  sledging  and 
skating  on  the  ice ;  and  women  skating  too,  with  skirts  and 
jackets  broidered  with  pearl  and  gold,  blue  and  scarlet. 
And  the  boys  and  girls  came  and  went  hither  and  thither, 
laughing  and  following  one  another  in  line,  or  two  by  two  in 
couples,  singing  the  song  of  love  upon  the  ice,  and  running  to 
eat  and  drink  at  the  stalls  decorated  with  flags,  where  one 
could  buy  all  kinds  of  brandy-wine  and  oranges  and  figs  and 
eggs  and  hot  vegetables  with  heete-koeken — pancakes,  that  is, 
with  vegetables  flavoured  with  vinegar.  And  all  around  them 

R  257 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

the  sailing  sledges  made  the  ice  to  resound  under  the  press  of 
their  sharp  runners. 

Lamme,  who  was  still  searching  everywhere  for  his  wife, 
wandered  about  on  his  skates  like  the  rest  of  that  happy 
crowd,  but  he  kept  falling  down  time  and  again. 

Ulenspiegel,  meanwhile,  to  satisfy  his  hunger  and  thirst, 
was  wont  to  resort  to  a  little  tavern  on  the  quay  where  the 
prices  were  not  high,  and  where  he  used  to  have  many  a  talk 
with  the  old  lady  who  kept  it. 

One  Sunday  about  nine  o'clock  he  went  to  the  inn  and 
asked  them  to  give  him  some  dinner.  A  charming-looking 
young  woman  came  forward  to  serve  him. 

"  Dear  me,"  he  cried,  "  you  rejuvenated  hostess  !  Where- 
ever  are  those  old  wrinkles  of  yours  gone  to  ?  And  your 
mouth  has  found  all  its  teeth  again,  and  they  are  white  with 
the  whiteness  of  youth  itself !  And  your  lips  are  red  like 
cherries !  Is  it  for  me  this  smile  of  yours  so  sweet  and 
roguish  ?  " 

"  Nay,  nay,"  she  said.     "  But  what  can  I  get  you  ?  " 

"  Yourself,"  he  said. 

The  woman  answered  : 

"  That  would  be  too  big  a  meal  for  a  lean  little  man  like 
you.  Will  not  some  other  kind  of  meat  do  for  you  ?  " 

When  Ulenspiegel  made  no  answer  : 

"  What  have  you  done,"  she  said,  "  with  that  handsome, 
well-set-up,  but  rather  corpulent  gentleman  I  have  so  often 
seen  in  your  company  ?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  Lamme  ?  "  queried  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Yes.    What  have  you  done  with  him  ?  "  she  repeated. 

"  He  is  busy  eating,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  eating 
anything  he  can  set  his  teeth  upon — hard-boiled  eggs  from 
the  street  stalls,  smoked  eels  and  salted  fish  :  and  all  this, 
forsooth,  to  help  him  find  his  wife.  But  why  are  you  not 
she,  my  sweet  ?  Would  you  like  fifty  florins  ?  Would  you 
like  a  collar  of  gold  ?  " 
258 


The  Pretty  Baesine 

But  she  crossed  herself,  saying  : 

"  I  am  not  to  be  bought,  nor  yet  taken." 

"  Do  you  love  no  one  ? "  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  I  love  you  as  my  neighbour ;  but  above  all  I  love  Our 
Lord  and  Our  Lady,  they  that  command  me  to  live  an  honest 
life.  Hard  indeed  and  oftentimes  burdensome  are  the  duties 
that  are  laid  on  us  poor  women.  Nevertheless  God  gives  us 
his  aid.  Yet  some  there  are  who  succumb  to  temptation. 
But  this  fat  friend  of  yours,  come,  tell  me,  is  he  well  and 
happy  ?  " 

Ulenspiegel  answered  : 

"  He  is  gay  when  he  is  eating,  but  sad  and  pensive  when 
he  is  empty.  I  will  get  him  to  come  and  see  you." 

"  Do  not  do  that,"  she  said ;  "  he  would  weep  and  so 
should  I." 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  his  wife  ?  "  asked  Ulenspiegel. 

"  She  sinned  with  him  once,"  the  woman  answered,  "  and 
was  condemned  therefor  to  a  cruel  punishment.  She  knows 
that  he  goes  a-seafaring  in  the  cause  of  the  heretics,  and  this 
is  a  cruel  thought  for  a  Christian  heart.  But  protect  him, 
I  pray  you,  if  he  is  attacked,  and  nurse  him  if  he  is  wounded  : 
his  wife  ordered  me  thus  to  entreat  you." 

"  Lamme  is  my  brother  and  my  friend,"  answered 
Ulenspiegel. 

"  Ah  !  "  she  said.  "  But  why  will  you  not  return  to  the 
bosom  of  our  Holy  Mother  Church  ?  " 

"  She  eats  up  her  children,"  answered  Ulenspiegel.  And 
he  departed. 

But  one  morning  in  March,  while  still  the  cold  winds  of 
winter  kept  the  ice  frozen,  so  that  the  ship  of  the  Beggarmen 
could  not  make  away,  Ulenspiegel  came  again  to  the  tavern. 
And  the  pretty  baesine  said  to  him  (and  there  was  great 
emotion  and  sorrow  in  her  voice) : 

"  Poor  Lamme  !     Poor  Ulenspiegel !  " 

"  Why  do  you  pity  us  so  ?  "  he  asked  her. 

259 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Alas  !  alas  !  "  she  cried.  "  Why  will  you  not  believe 
in  the  Mass  ?  And  you  did,  you  would  go  straight  to  Paradise 
without  a  doubt,  and  I  might  be  able  to  save  you  in  this 
life  also." 

Seeing  her  go  to  the  door  and  listen  there  attentively, 
Ulenspiegel  said  to  her  : 

"  Is  it  the  snow  that  you  hear  falling  ?  " 

"  No,"  she  said. 

"  What  then  ?  " 

"  It  is  death  that  comes  like  a  thief  in  the  night." 

"  Death,"  exclaimed  Ulenspiegel.  "  I  do  not  understand 
you.  Come  back  and  tell  me." 

"  They  are  there"  she  said. 

"  Who  are  ?  " 

"  Who  ? "  she  said.  "  Why,  the  soldiers  of  Simonen  Bol, 
who  are  about  to  come  in  the  name  of  the  Duke  and  throw 
themselves  upon  you  all.  And  if  they  treat  you  well  while 
you  are  here,  it  is  only  as  men  treat  the  oxen  they  mean  to 
kill.  Oh  why,"  she  cried  all  in  tears,  "  why  did  I  not  know 
all  this  before,  so  that  I  could  have  warned  you  !  " 

"  You  must  not  cry,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  and  you  must 
stay  where  you  are  !  " 

"  Do  not  betray  me,"  she  said. 

Ulenspiegel  went  out  of  the  house,  ran  as  fast  as  he  could, 
and  went  round  to  all  the  booths  and  taverns  in  the  place, 
whispering  to  the  sailors  and  soldiers  these  words  :  "  The 
Spaniards  are  coming." 

At  that  they  ran  every  one  to  the  ship,  and  prepared  with 
all  the  haste  they  knew  whatever  things  were  necessary  for 
battle.  Then  they  waited  for  the  evening.  While  they  were 
waiting  thus,  Ulenspiegel  said  to  Lamme  : 

"  Do  you  see  that  pretty-looking  woman  on  the  quay 
there,  in  a  black  dress  embroidered  with  scarlet  ?  " 

"  It's  all  one  to  me,"  answered  Lamme.     "  I  am  cold  and 
I  want  to  go  to  sleep." 
260 


Lamme  loses  his  W^ife  again 

And  he  threw  his  great  cloak  around  his  head,  and  became 
like  a  man  who  was  deaf. 

But  presently  Ulenspiegel  recognized  the  woman  and 
cried  out  to  her  from  the  vessel : 

"  Would  you  like  to  come  with  us  ?  " 

"  Even  to  the  death,"  she  answered,  "  but  I  cannot  .  .  ." 

Then  she  came  nearer  to  the  ship. 

"  Take  this  ointment,"  she  said.  "  It  is  for  you  and 
that  fat  friend  of  yours  who  goes  to  sleep  when  he  ought  to 
be  awake." 

And  she  withdrew  herself,  crying  : 

"  Lamme !  Lamme !  May  God  keep  you  from  harm 
and  bring  you  back  safe." 

And  she  uncovered  her  face. 

"  My  wife  !     My  wife  !  "  cried  Lamme. 

And  he  would  have  jumped  down  to  her. 

"  Your  faithful  wife  !  "  she  said,  running  the  while  as 
fast  as  ever  she  could. 

Lamme  would  have  leaped  down  from  the  deck  on  to 
the  ice,  but  he  was  restrained  by  a  soldier  who  caught  him 
by  his  cloak,  and  the  provost  addressed  him,  saying  : 

"  You  will  be  hanged  if  you  leave  the  ship." 

Yet  again  did  Lamme  try  to  throw  himself  down,  but  an 
old  Beggarman  held  him  back,  telling  him  that  the  ice  was 
damp  and  that  he  would  get  his  feet  wet.  And  Lamme  sat 
down  on  the  deck  weeping  and  crying  ever  : 

"  My  wife  !    My  wife  !    Let  me  go  and  find  my  wife  !  " 

"  You  will  see  her  again,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  She  loves 
you,  but  she  loves  God  more." 

"  Mad  devil-woman  that  she  is  !  "  cried  Lamme.  "  If 
she  loves  God  more  than  her  husband,  why  does  she  show 
herself  to  me  so  sweet  and  so  desirable  ?  And  if  she  loves 
me,  why  does  she  leave  me  ?  " 

"  Can  you  see  clearly  to  the  bottom  of  a  deep  well  ?  " 
demanded  Ulenspiegel. 

261 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

In  the  meanwhile  the  followers  of  Simonen  Bol  had 
appeared  on  the  scene  with  a  large  force  of  artillery.  They 
shot  at  the  ship,  which  promptly  repaid  them  in  similar  coin. 
And  the  bullets  broke  up  the  ice  all  around.  And  towards 
evening  a  warm  rain  began  to  fall,  and  the  west  wind  blew 
from  the  Atlantic,  and  the  sea  grew  angry  beneath  its  covering 
of  ice,  and  the  ice  was  broken  into  huge  blocks  which  could 
be  seen  rising  and  falling  to  hurl  themselves  one  against  the 
other,  not  without  danger  to  the  ship,  which,  nevertheless,  as 
dawn  began  to  dissipate  the  clouds  of  night,  opened  its  sails 
like  a  bird  of  freedom  and  sailed  out  towards  the  open  sea. 

There  they  were  joined  by  the  fleet  of  Messire  de  Lumey 
de  la  Marche,  Admiral  of  Holland  and  Zeeland  ;  and  on  that 
day  the  ship  of  Messire  Tres-Long  captured  a  vessel  from 
Biscay  that  carried  a  cargo  of  mercury,  gunpowder,  wine,  and 
spices.  And  the  vessel  was  cleaned  to  its  marrow,  emptied 
of  its  men  and  its  booty,  even  as  the  bone  of  an  ox  is  cleaned 
by  the  teeth  of  a  lion.  And  the  Beggarmen  took  La  Briele, 
a  strong  naval  base,  well  called  the  Garden  of  Liberty. 

XXVIII 

It  was  at  the  beginning  of  May.  The  sky  was  clear,  the 
ship  sailed  proudly  on  the  billows,  and  Ulenspiegel  sang  this 
song  : 

The  ashes  beat  on  my  heart, 
The  murderers  are  come  ; 
With  daggers  have  they  struck  at  us, 
Fiercely,  with  fire  and  sword  have  they  struck  at  us, 
They  have  bribed  us  most  vilely  and  spied  on  us, 
Where  are  love  and  fidelity  now  ? 
In  exchange  for  those  sweetest  of  virtues, 
Betrayal  and  fraud  have  they  heaped  on  us. 
Tet  may  they  that  have  murdered  be  murdered  themselves  ! 
Beat,  beat,  drum  of  war  ! 
262 


THE  ASHES  OF  CLAES 
BEAT  UPON  MY  HEART" 


The  Song  of  Ulenspiegel 

Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !     Loud  beat  the  drum  ! 

La  Briele  has  fallen, 

Flushing  too,  the  key  to  the  Scheldt! 

God  is  good,  for  Camp-veere  is  taken, 

Taken  the  place  where  the  guns  of  all  Zeeland  were  stored  ! 

Now  cannon-balls,  powder,  and  bullets  are  ours, 

Bullets  of  iron,  bullets  of  brass. 

God  is  with  us — against  us,  then,  who  ? 

The  drum  !    Beat  the  drum  of  glory  and  war  ! 
Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !    Beat  the  drum  ! 

And  again  Ulenspiegel  lifted  up  his  voice  and  sang  : 

0  Duke  !    Hark  to  the  voice  of  the  People, 

Murmuring  so  strong  in  the  distance, 

Like  the  sea  that  swells  in  the  season  of  tempest ! 

Enough  of  silver  and  gold  and  of  blood, 

Of  ruins  enough  !    Beat  the  drum  !    Beat  the  drum  ! 

The  sword  is  drawn. 

Duke  !    Duke  of  Alba,  Duke  of  Blood, 
Behold  the  stalls  and  the  shops,  they  are  closed. 
Brewers  and  bakers,  grocers  and  butchers, 
Refuse  one  and  all  to  do  business  for  nothing. 
When  you  pass  who'll  salute  you  ? 
None.     Do  you  feel,  then,  the  pestilent  mist 
Of  hate  and  scorn  closing  around  you  ? 

For  the  fair  land  of  Flanders, 

The  gay  land  of  Brabant, 

Now  are  sad  as  a  churchyard. 

And  where  once  in  the  days  of  our  liberty 

Sounded  the  violas,  screamed  the  fifes  and  the  bagpipes, 

Now  there  is  silence  and  death. 

Beat  the  drum,  the  drum  of  war. 

263 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

And.  now,  'stead  of  all  the  glad  faces 

Of  those  that  drank  and  made  love  to  the  sound  of  sweet  singing, 

Now  is  naught  but  pale  faces 

Of  they  that  await  in  dumb  resignation 

The  blade  of  the  sword  of  injustice. 

Beat  the  drum,  the  drum  of  war. 

0  land  of  our  fathers,  suffering,  beloved, 

Bow  not  your  head  'neath  the  foot  of  the  murderer  ! 

And  you,  busy  bees,  fling  yourselves  now 

In  swarms  'gainst  the  hornets  of  Spain. 

And  you  bodies  of  women  and  girls 

That  are  buried  alive 

Cry  to  Christ :  Vengeance  ! 

Wander  by  night  in  theflelds,  poor  souls, 

Cry  to  God  ! 

Every  arm  now  trembles  to  strike. 

The  sword  is  drawn. 

Duke,  we  will  tear  out  your  entrails, 

Tea,  we  will  whip  you  in  the  face  ! 

Beat  the  drum.     The  sword,  is  drawn. 

Beat  the  drum.     Long  live  the  Beggarmen  ! 

And  all  the  sailors  and  soldiers  on  the  ship  of  Ulenspiegel, 
and  they  also  that  were  on  the  ships  near  by,  took  up  the 
refrain  and  sang  out  also : 

The  sword  is  drawn.     Long  live  the  Beggarmen  / 

And  the  sound  of  their  voices  was  like  the  growl  of  the 
thunder  of  deliverance. 

XXIX 

It  was  the  month  of  January,  the  cruel  month  that 
freezes  the  calf  in  the  womb  of  the  cow.  Snow  had  fallen 
264 


The  High  Bailiff  of  Damme 

over  all  the  land,  and  then  frozen  hard.  The  boys  went  out 
to  snare  with  bird-lime  the  sparrows  that  came  to  seek  what 
nourishment  they  could  find  on  the  hardened  snow ;  and 
whatever  they  took  they  brought  back  to  their  cottages. 
Against  the  grey,  bright  sky  the  skeletons  of  the  trees  de- 
tached themselves  in  motionless  outline,  and  their  branches 
were  covered  as  it  were  with  cushions  of  snow,  and  the  roofs 
of  the  cottages  likewise,  and  the  tops  of  the  walls  where 
showed  the  footprints  of  the  cats  who  themselves  went  out 
hunting  for  sparrows  in  the  snow.  Far  and  wide  the  fields 
were  hidden  under  that  wonderful  white  fleece  which  warms 
the  earth  against  the  bitter  cold  of  winter.  The  smoke  of 
houses  and  cottages  showed  black  as  it  mounted  heavenwards, 
and  over  everything  there  brooded  a  great  stillness. 

And  Katheline  and  Nele  lived  alone  in  their  cottage,  and 
Katheline  wagged  her  head,  crying  continually : 

"  Hans,  my  heart  is  yours.  But  you  must  give  back  those 
seven  hundred  caroluses.  Put  out  the  fire  !  My  head  is  burn- 
ing !  Alas  !  Where  are  your  kisses  cold  as  snow  ?  "  And  she 
stood  watching  at  the  window. 

Suddenly  a  horseman  rode  past  at  the  gallop,  crying  : 
"  Here  comes  the  bailiff,  the  high  bailiff  of  Damme  !  " 
And  he  went  on  to  the  Town  Hall,  crying  out  all  the  time, 
so  as  to  gather  together  the  burghers  and  the  aldermen. 
And  thereafter  in  the  silence  that  ensued  Nele  could  hear 
two  blasts  of  a  trumpet,  and  straightway  all  the  people  of 
Damme  came  running  to  their  doors  thinking  that  it  must 
be  no  less  a  personage  than  His  Royal  Majesty  himself  whose 
arrival  was  announced  by  such  a  fanfare.  And  Katheline 
also  went  to  her  door  with  Nele,  and  in  the  distance  she  could 
see  a  troop  of  splendid  horsemen  riding  all  together,  and  at 
their  head  a  magnificent  figure  in  a  cloak  of  black  velvet 
edged  with  sable.  And  she  knew  him  at  once  for  the  high 
bailiff  of  Damme. 

Now  behind  him  there  rode  a  company  of  youthful  Lords 

265 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

clad  in  long  cloaks,  and  they  rode  along  gaily,  and  their  coats 
were  adorned  with  buttons  and  trimmings  of  gold,  and  their 
hats  with  long  ostrich  plumes  waving  gaily  in  the  wind. 
And  they  seemed  one  and  all  to  be  good  comrades  and  friends 
of  the  high  bailiff  ;  and  conspicuous  among  them  was  a  thin- 
faced  gentleman  dressed  in  green  velvet  and  gold  trimmings, 
and  like  the  others  his  cloak  was  of  black  velvet  and  his  hat 
also  was  adorned  with  black  plumes.  And  his  nose  was  like 
a  vulture's  beak,  his  mouth  compressed  and  thin,  and  his  beard 
was  red  and  his  face  pale,  and  very  proud  was  his  bearing. 

While  the  company  of  gentlemen  was  passing  before  the 
cottage,  Katheline  suddenly  ran  forward  and  leapt  at  the 
bridle  of  the  pale  horseman,  and  cried  out,  mad  with  joy 
as  it  seemed  : 

"  Hans !  My  beloved,  I  knew  you  would  come  back  ! 
Oh,  you  are  beautiful  like  this,  all  clad  in  velvet  and  gold, 
shining  like  a  sun  against  the  snow  !  Have  you  brought  me 
those  seven  hundred  caroluses  ?  Shall  I  hear  you  again  crying 
like  the  sea-eagle  ?  " 

The  high  bailiff  brought  the  cavalcade  to  a  stand,  and  the 
pale  gentleman  said  : 

"  What  does  this  beggar-woman  want  with  me  ?  " 

But  Katheline,  still  holding  the  horse  by  the  bridle,  made 
answer :  '  You  must  be  dreaming,  Hans.  Wake  up  from  your 
dream  !  I  have  cried  for  you  so  long.  O  nights  of  love,  my 
beloved  !  O  kisses  of  snow,  O  body  of  ice  !  See,  this  is 
your  child  !  " 

And  she  pointed  to  Nele,  who  was  gazing  at  the  man 
with  terror,  for  now  he  had  raised  his  whip  as  though  he  were 
about  to  strike  at  Katheline.  But  Katheline  still  continued 
her  entreaties,  weeping  all  the  time  : 

"  Ah  !  Do  you  not  remember  ?  Have  pity  on  your 
servant !  Take  her  with  you  whithersoever  you  will !  Put 
out  the  fire  !  Hans,  have  pity  !  " 

"  Get  out  of  the  way !  "  he  said.  And  he  urged  on  his 
266 


Neles  Evidence 

steed  so  quickly  that  Katheline  was  forced  to  loose  hold 
of  the  bridle,  and  she  fell  on  to  the  road,  and  the  horse  went 
over  her,  leaving  a  bleeding  wound  upon  her  forehead.  Then 
the  bailiff  inquired  of  the  pale  horseman  as  to  whether  he 
knew  aught  of  the  woman. 

"  I  know  her  not,"  was  the  answer.  "  She  is  out  of  her 
wits,  doubtless." 

But  by  this  time  Nele  had  helped  up  Katheline  from  the 
ground.  "  If  this  woman  is  mad,"  she  said, "  at  least,  my  Lord, 
I  am  not.  And  I  am  ready  to  die  here  and  now  of  this  snow 
that  I  am  eating  " — and  here  Nele  took  and  ate  of  the  snow 
with  her  fingers — "  if  this  horseman  has  not  had  knowledge  of 
my  mother,  and  if  he  has  not  forced  her  to  lend  him  money, 
nay,  all  the  money  that  she  had,  and  if  it  was  not  he  that 
killed  the  dog  which  belonged  to  Claes,  so  that  he  might  take 
from  the  wall  of  the  well  those  seven  hundred  caroluses  which 
belonged  to  the  poor  man  that  is  dead." 

"Hans,  my  pet,"  sobbed  Katheline,  "give  me  the  kiss  of 
peace.  Time  was  when  you  killed  your  friend  because  you  were 
jealous,  by  the  dike.  .  .  .  You  loved  me  well  in  those  days." 

"  Who  is  that  man  she  speaks  of  ?  "  demanded  the  bailiff. 

"  I  know  not,"  said  the  pale  horseman.  "  The  talk  of  this 
beggar-woman  is  no  concern  of  ours.  Let  us  move  on." 

But  by  now  a  crowd  of  people  had  collected,  workpeople 
of  the  town,  and  they  all  began  to  take  Katheline's  part, 
crying  :  "  Justice  !  Justice,  my  Lord  Bailiff  !  Justice  !  " 

And  the  bailiff  said  to  Nele  :  "  Who  is  the  one  that  was 
killed  ?  Speak  the  truth  in  God's  name." 

Then  Nele  said  her  say,  pointing  the  while  at  the  pale 
horseman  : 

"  This  is  the  man  who  came  every  Saturday  to  the  keet 
to  visit  my  mother,  and  to  take  her  money  from  her.  He 
killed  one  of  his  own  friends,  Hilbert  by  name,  in  the  field  of 
Servaes  Van  der  Vichte ;  and  this  he  did  not  from  any  love 
of  Katheline,  as  she  in  her  innocent  folly  believes,  but  rather 

267 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

that  he  might  get  hold  of  her  seven  hundred  caroluses  and 
keep  them  all  for  himself." 

"  You  lie,"  said  the  pale  horseman. 

"  Oh  no  !  "  said  Nele.  "  For  it  is  you  that  caused  the 
death  of  Soetkin  ;  you  that  reduced  her  orphan  son  to  misery  ; 
you — nobleman  that  you  are — who  came  to  us,  common 
people,  and  the  first  time  you  came  you  brought  money  to 
my  mother,  so  that  ever  afterwards  you  might  take  her  money 
from  her  !  And  you  it  is  that  introduced  into  our  house  that 
friend  of  yours  to  whom  you  would  have  given  me  in  mar- 
riage ;  but,  as  you  know,  I  would  have  none  of  him.  What 
did  he  do,  your  friend  Hilbert,  that  time  I  tore  his  eyes  with 
my  finger-nails  ?  " 

"  Nele  is  naughty,"  said  Katheline.  "  You  must  not  pay 
any  attention  to  her,  Hans,  my  pet.  She  is  angry  because 
Hilbert  tried  to  take  her  by  force  ;  but  Hilbert  cannot  do  so 
any  more.  The  worms  have  eaten  him.  And  Hilbert  was 
ugly,  Hans,  my  pet.  It  is  you  alone  that  are  beautiful,  and 
Nele,  she  is  naughty." 

Now  the  bailiff  ordered  the  women  to  go  about  their 
business,  but  Katheline  would  not  budge  from  where  she 
stood.  They  were  obliged,  therefore,  to  take  her  into  the 
cottage  by  force.  And  all  the  people  that  were  there  as- 
sembled began  to  cry  out : 

"  Justice,  my  Lord  !    Justice  !  " 

At  this  moment  the  sergeants  of  the  commune  came  upon 
the  scene,  attracted  by  the  noise,  and  the  bailiff,  bidding  them 
wait,  addressed  himself  to  the  Lords  and  nobles  in  the  following 
manner  : 

"  My  Lords  and  Gentlemen, — Notwithstanding  all  those 
privileges  which  protect  the  illustrious  order  of  the  nobility 
of  Flanders,  I  find  myself  constrained  to  arrest  Joos  Damman 
on  account  of  the  accusations  which  have  been  brought 
against  him.  And  I  therefore  order  him  to  be  confined  to 
prison  until  such  time  as  he  can  be  brought  to  trial  according 
268 


NELE  ACCUSES  HANS 


The  Trial  of  jfoos  Damman 

to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  Empire.  Hand  me,  then, 
your  sword,  Sir  Joos  !  " 

At  this  command  Joos  Damman  was  seen  to  hesitate, 
but  all  the  people  cried  out  as  with  one  voice  : 

"  Justice,  my  Lord !  Justice  !  Let  him  deliver  up  his 
sword  !  " 

And  he  was  obliged  to  do  so  in  spite  of  himself ;  and 
when  he  had  dismounted  from  his  horse  he  was  conducted 
by  the  sergeants  to  the  prison  of  the  commune. 

Nevertheless  he  was  not  confined  in  one  of  the  dungeons, 
but  was  placed  in  a  room  with  barred  windows,  where,  for  a 
payment  of  money,  he  was  made  not  too  uncomfortable. 
For  he  was  provided  with  a  fire,  a  good  bed,  and  some  good 
food,  half  of  which,  however,  went  to  the  gaoler. 

XXX 

On  the  morrow  there  came  a  soft  wind  blowing  from 
Brabant.  The  snow  began  to  melt  and  the  meadows  were 
all  flooded. 

And  the  bell  that  is  called  Borgstorm  summoned  the  judges 
to  the  tribunal  of  the  Fierschare.  And  they  sat  under  the 
penthouse,  because  the  grassy  banks  where  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  sit  were  too  damp.  And  round  about  the  tribunal 
stood  the  people  of  the  town. 

Joos  Damman  was  brought  before  the  judges.  He  was 
not  in  bonds,  and  he  still  wore  the  dress  of  a  nobleman. 
Katheline  was  also  brought  there,  but  her  hands  were  tied  in 
front  of  her,  and  she  wore  a  grey  dress,  the  dress  of  a 
prisoner. 

On  being  examined,  Joos  Damman  pleaded  guilty  to  the 
charge  of  having  killed  his  friend  Hilbert  with  a  sword  in 
single  combat ;  and  this  he  confessed  willingly  because,  as 
he  said,  he  was  protected  by  the  law  of  Flanders,  which 
made  a  murderer  safe  from  conviction  after  the  space  of 
ten  years. 

269 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Then  the  bailiff  asked  him  if  he  was  a  sorcerer. 

"  No,"  replied  Damman. 

"  Prove  it,"  said  the  bailiff. 

"  That  I  will  do  at  the  right  time  and  in  the  proper  place," 
said  Joos  Damman,  "  but  not  now." 

Then  the  bailiff  began  to  question  Katheline.  She,  how- 
ever, paid  no  attention  to  his  questions,  but  kept  her  eyes 
fixed  on  Hans,  saying  : 

"  You  are  my  green  master.  Beautiful  you  are  as  the 
Sun  himself.  Put  out  the  fire,  my  pet !  " 

Then  Nele  spoke  on  Katheline's  behalf. 

"  She  can  tell  you  naught,  my  Lord,  that  you  do  not  know 
already.  She  is  not  a  sorceress.  She  is  only  out  of  her 
mind." 

Then  the  bailiff  said  his  say : 

"  A  sorcerer,  I  would  remind  you,  is  one  who  knowingly 
employs  a  devilish  art,  or  devilish  arts,  for  the  attainment 
of  a  certain  object.  Well,  these  two  persons,  the  man  and 
the  woman,  I  find  to  be  sorcerers  both  in  intention  and  in 
fact ;  the  man  because,  as  the  evidence  states,  he  gave  to 
this  woman  the  balm  of  the  Witches'  Sabbath,  and  made  his 
visage  like  unto  Lucifer  so  as  to  obtain  money  from  her  and 
the  satisfaction  of  his  wanton  desires.  And  the  woman 
also  I  find  to  be  a  sorceress  because  she  submitted  herself  to 
the  man,  taking  him  for  a  devil  and  abandoning  herself  to 
his  will.  I  ask,  therefore,  if  the  gentlemen  of  the  tribunal 
are  agreed  that  it  is  a  case  where  the  prisoners  should  both 
be  sent  to  the  torture  ?  " 

The  aldermen  did  not  answer,  but  showed  clearly  enough 
that  such  was  not  their  desire,  so  far  at  any  rate  as  Katheline 
was  concerned. 

Then  the  bailiff  spake  again  : 

"  Like  you  I  am  moved  with  pity  and  compassion  for  the 
woman,  but  mad  as  she  undoubtedly  is  and  obedient  in  all 
things  to  the  devil,  is  it  not  probable  that  at  the  behest  of  her 
270 


Before  the  Torture 

leman  she  might  have  committed  the  most  horrible  crimes 
and  abominations,  as  do  all  those  who  resign  themselves  to 
the  devil's  will  ?  No.  Since  Joos  Damman  has  refused  to 
acknowledge  any  crime  save  that  of  murder,  and  since 
Katheline  has  not  told  us  anything  at  all,  it  is  clear  that  by 
the  laws  of  the  Empire  we  are  bound  to  proceed  in  the 
manner  I  have  indicated." 

And  the  aldermen  gave  sentence  to  the  effect  that  the 
two  prisoners  were  to  be  committed  to  torture  on  the  following 
Friday,  which  was  the  day  but  one  following. 

And  Nele  cried  out  for  mercy  upon  Katheline,  and  the 
people  joined  with  her  in  supplication,  but  all  in  vain.  And 
the  prisoners  were  taken  back  into  the  gaol. 

There,  by  order  of  the  tribunal,  the  keeper  of  the  gaol  was 
ordered  to  provide  a  couple  of  guards  for  each  prisoner,  and 
these  guards  were  commanded  to  beat  them  whenever  they 
looked  like  going  off  to  sleep.  Now  the  two  guards  that  were 
allotted  to  Katheline  suffered  her  to  sleep  during  the  night ; 
but  they  that  were  assigned  to  Joos  Damman  beat  him  un- 
mercifully every  time  that  he  closed  his  eyes  or  even  hung 
his  head  down.  And  neither  of  the  prisoners  was  given 
anything  to  eat  through  all  that  Wednesday,  and  through 
all  the  night  and  day  which  followed.  But  on  the  Thursday 
evening  they  were  given  food  and  drink — meat,  that  is  to 
say,  which  had  been  soaked  in  salt  and  saltpetre,  and  water 
which  had  been  salted  in  a  similar  fashion.  And  this  was 
the  beginning  of  their  torture.  And  in  the  morning,  crying 
out  with  thirst,  they  were  led  by  the  sergeants  into  the 
chamber  of  doom. 

There  they  were  set  opposite  to  one  another,  bound  as 
they  were,  each  to  a  separate  bench  which  itself  was  covered 
with  knotted  cords  that  hurt  them  grievously.  And  they 
were  both  made  to  drink  a  glass  of  water  saturated  with 
salt  and  saltpetre. 

Joos  Damman  began  to  fall  off  to  sleep  where  he  was, 

271 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

but  the  sergeants  soon  beat  him  awake  again.     And  Kathe- 
line  said  : 

"  Do  not  beat  him,  kind  sirs.  He  has  committed  but  a 
single  crime,  when  he  killed  Hilbert — and  that  was  done  for 
love's  sake.  Oh,  but  I  am  thirsty !  And  you  also  are 
thirsty,  Hans,  my  beloved  !  Pray  give  him  something  to 
drink  first  of  all.  Water  !  Water  !  My  body  is  burning 
me  up.  But  spare  him.  I  will  die  for  him.  Water  !  " 

Joos  said  to  her  : 

"  Ugly  old  witch  that  you  are,  go  and  die  for  all  I  care  ! 
Throw  her  into  the  fire,  my  Lords !  Oh,  but  I  am  thirsty ! " 

Meanwhile  the  clerks  of  the  court  were  busy  writing  down 
every  word  that  was  being  said.  And  the  bailiff  asked  him  : 

"  Have  you  nothing  to  confess  ?  " 

"  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,"  replied  Damman.  "  You 
know  all  that  there  is  to  know." 

"  Forasmuch  as  he  persists  in  his  denials,"  said  the  bailiff, 
"  let  him  remain  where  he  is  until  he  shall  have  made  a 
complete  avowal  of  his  crimes.  Let  him  neither  eat  nor 
drink  nor  go  to  sleep." 

"  So  be  it,"  said  Joos  Damman.  "  And  I  will  amuse 
myself  by  watching  the  sufferings  of  this  old  witch  here." 

And  Katheline  answered  him,  saying  : 

"  Cold  arms,  warm  heart,  Hans,  my  beloved !  I  am 
thirsty,  my  head  is  burning  !  " 

The  clerk  of  the  court  wrote  down  what  she  said,  and  the 
bailiff  asked  her  : 

"  Woman,  have  you  nothing  to  say  in  your  own  defence  ? " 

But  Katheline  only  gazed  at  Joos  Damman,  and  said 
very  amorously  : 

"  It  is  the  hour  of  the  sea-eagle,  Hans,  my  pet.  They  say 
that  you  will  give  me  back  the  seven  hundred  caroluses.  Put 
out  the  fire  !  Put  out  the  fire  !  "  Then  she  began,  to  cry 
out  most  horribly :  "  Water !  Water !  My  head  is  burning  ! 
God  and  His  angels  are  eating  apples  in  heaven  !  " 
272 


jfoos  Damman  protests 

And  she  lost  consciousness. 

Thereupon  the  bailiff  ordered  her  to  be  released  from  the 
bench  of  torture  ;  which  was  done,  and  thereafter  she  was 
seen  to  stagger  to  and  fro  because  of  her  feet,  which  were  all 
swollen  from  the  cords  that  had  been  bound  too  tight. 

"  Give  her  to  drink,"  said  the  bailiff. 

And  they  gave  her  some  fresh  water  which  she  swallowed 
greedily,  holding  the  goblet  between  her  teeth  as  a  dog  holds 
a  bone  and  refusing  to  let  it  go.  Then  they  gave  her  more 
water,  and  this  she  would  have  carried  over  to  Joos  Damman 
had  not  the  torturer  wrested  the  goblet  from  her  hand. 
And  she  fell  down  asleep,  like  a  piece  of  lead. 

But  Joos  Damman  cried  out  in  his  fury  : 

"  I  also  am  thirsty  and  sleepy.  Why  do  you  give  her 
to  drink  ?  Why  do  you  let  her  fall  asleep  ?  " 

"  She  is  a  woman,"  answered  the  bailiff.  "  And  she  is 
weak  and  out  of  her  mind." 

"  Her  madness  is  only  pretence,"  said  Joos  Damman. 
"  She  is  a  witch.  I  want  to  drink,  and  I  want  to  sleep." 

And  he  closed  his  eyes,  but  his  tormentors  struck  him  in 
the  face. 

"  Give  me  a  knife,"  he  cried,  "  that  I  may  cut  these 
varlets  in  pieces.  I  am  a  nobleman ;  no  one  has  ever  struck 
me  in  the  face  before !  Water !  Let  me  sleep.  I  am 
innocent.  It  is  not  I  that  took  the  seven  hundred  caroluses, 
it  was  Hilbert.  Water !  I  have  never  committed  any 
sorceries  nor  any  incantations.  I  am  innocent.  Leave  me 
alone  and  give  me  something  to  drink." 

But  the  bailiff  only  asked  him  how  he  had  passed  the  time 
after  he  left  Katheline. 

"  I  do  not  know  Katheline  at  all,"  he  said,  "  therefore 
I  never  left  her.  You  have  asked  me  an  unfair  question, 
and  I  am  not  bound  to  answer  it.  Give  me  something  to 
drink.  Let  me  go  to  sleep.  I  tell  you  it  was  Hilbert  who 
was  responsible  for  everything." 

s  273 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  Take  him  away,"  said  the  bailiff,  "  put  him  back  into 
his  prison.  But  see  that  he  has  nothing  to  drink,  and  that 
he  does  not  fall  asleep  until  he  has  admitted  his  sorceries 
and  incantations." 

And  now  Damman  suffered  the  most  cruel  torture'  of  all, 
and  he  cried  out  continually  in  his  prison  :  "  Water  !  Water  !  " 
And  so  loudly  did  he  cry  that  the  people  outside  could  hear 
him,  nevertheless  they  felt  no  pity  for  him.  And  when  he 
began  to  fall  off  to  sleep  the  guards  struck  him  in  the  face, 
and  he  cried  out  again,  like  a  tiger  : 

"  I  am  a  nobleman,  and  I  will  kill  you,  you  varlets  ! 
I  will  go  to  the  King  our  master.  Water  !  " 

But  he  would  confess  nothing  at  all,  and  they  left  him 
where  he  was. 

XXXI 

It  was  the  month  of  May.  The  Tree  of  Justice  was  green 
again.  Green  also  were  those  grassy  banks  where  the  judges 
were  wont  to  seat  themselves.  Nele  was  summoned  to  give 
evidence,  for  it  was  the  day  on  which  the  judgment  was  to 
be  promulgated.  And  the  people — men  and  women — of 
Damme,  stood  around  the  open  space  of  the  court,  and  the 
sun  shone  brightly. 

Katheline  and  Joos  Damman  were  now  brought  before  the 
tribunal,  and  Damman  appeared  more  pale  than  ever  because 
of  the  torture  he  had  suffered,  the  many  nights  he  had  passed 
without  sleep  or  anything  to  drink.  As  for  Katheline,  she 
could  scarcely  support  herself  on  her  tottering  legs,  and  she 
pointed  to  the  sun  continually,  and  cried  out :  "  Put  out  the 
fire  !  My  head  is  burning !  "  And  she  gazed  at  Joos  Damman 
with  tender  love.  And  he  looked  back  at  her  with  hate  and 
despite.  And  his  friends,  the  Lords  and  gentlemen  who  had 
been  summoned  to  Damme,  were  all  present  there  before  the 
tribunal  as  witnesses. 

Then  the  bailiff  spoke  as  follows  : 

"  The  girl  Nele  here,  who  is  protecting  her  mother  Kathe- 
274 


The  Incriminating  Letters 

line  with  such  great  and  brave  affection,  has  found  sewn  into 
the  pocket  of  Katheline's  Sunday  dress  a  letter  signed  by 
Joos  Damman.  And  I  myself,  when  I  was  inspecting  the 
dead  body  of  Hilbert  Ryvish,  which  was  dug  up  in  the  field 
near  Katheline's  cottage,  found  thereon  a  second  letter, 
addressed  to  him  and  signed  by  the  said  Joos  Damman,  the 
accused  now  present  before  you.  Is  it  your  pleasure  that 
these  letters  be  now  read  to  you  ?  " 

"  Read  them,  read  them  !  "  cried  the  crowd.  "  Nele  is 
a  brave  girl !  Read  the  letters  !  Katheline  is  no  witch  !  " 

And  the  clerk  of  the  court  read  out  as  follows  : 

"  To  Hilbert,  son  of  William  Ryvish,  knight,  Joos  Dan. 
man,  knight,  Greeting. 

"  Most  excellent  friend,  let  me  advise  you  to  lose  no 
more  of  your  money  in  gambling,  dicing,  and  other  foolishness 
of  that  kind.  I  will  tell  you  a  way  of  making  money  safe 
and  sound.  My  plan  is  that  we  should  disguise  ourselves  as 
devils,  such  as  are  beloved  by  women  and  girls,  and  then 
choose  out  for  ourselves  all  the  pretty  ones,  leaving  alone  all 
such  as  are  ugly  or  poor ;  for  we  will  make  them  pay  for 
their  pleasure.  Do  you  know  that  when  I  was  in  Germany 
I  acquired  by  this  means  as  much  as  five  thousand  rix- 
daelders,  and  all  within  the  space  of  six  months  ?  For  a 
woman  will  give  her  last  denier  to  the  man  she  loves.  When, 
therefore,  such  an  one  is  willing  to  receive  you  in  the  night, 
the  thing  is  to  announce  your  coming  by  crying  like  a  night- 
bird,  so  it  may  seem  that  you  are  really  and  truly  a  devil ; 
and  if  you  want  to  make  your  countenance  appear  devilish 
you  must  rub  it  all  over  with  phosphorus,  for  phosphorus 
burns  when  it  is  damp,  and  the  smell  of  it  is  horrible ;  and 
the  women  mistake  it  for  the  odour  of  hell  itself.  And  if  any- 
thing gets  in  your  way,  be  it  man,  woman,  or  beast,  kill  it. 

"  Before  long  we  will  go  together  to  one  Katheline,  a 
handsome  woman  I  know.  And  she  has  a  daughter — a  child 

275 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

of  mine  forsooth,  if  indeed  Katheline  has  proved  faithful  to 
me.  And  she  is  a  right  comely  lass,  and  I  give  her  to  you, 
for  these  bastards  are  nothing  to  me.  And  you  must  know 
that  I  have  already  had  from  the  mother  a  sum  of  three  and 
twenty  caroluses.  This  money  all  belonged  to  her.  But 
somewhere,  unless  I  am  a  dunce,  she  keeps  secreted  the 
fortune  of  Claes,  that  heretic,  you  remember,  who  was  burned 
alive  at  Damme — seven  hundred  caroluses  in  all,  and  liable  to 
confiscation.  But  the  good  King  Philip,  who  has  burned  so 
many  of  his  subjects  for  the  sake  of  their  inheritance,  cannot 
lay  his  claw  upon  this,  and  assuredly  it  will  weigh  heavier  in 
my  purse  than  ever  it  would  in  his.  Katheline  will  tell  me 
where  it  is  hidden,  and  we  will  share  it  between  us.  Fortune 
favours  the  young,  as  His  Sacred  Majesty  Charles  V  was 
never  tired  of  saying,  and  he  was  a  past  master  in  all  the  arts 
of  love  and  war." 

Here  the  clerk  of  the  court  stopped  reading  and  said  : 

"  Such  is  the  letter,  and  it  is  signed  Joos  Damman." 

And  the  people  cried  out : 

"  To  the  death  with  the  murderer  !  To  the  death  with 
the  sorcerer  !  " 

But  the  bailiff  ordered  them  to  keep  silence  so  that 
judgment  might  be  passed  on  the  prisoners  with  every  form 
of  freedom  and  legality.  After  that  he  addressed  himself 
again  to  the  aldermen. 

"  Now  I  will  read  to  you  the  second  letter,  which  is  the 
letter  Nele  found  sewn  into  the  pocket  of  Katheline' s  Sunday 
gown.  These  are  the  terms  of  it : 

"  Sweet  witch,  here  is  the  recipe  of  a  mixture  which  was 
sent  to  me  by  the  wife  of  Lucifer  himself.  By  the  aid  of  this 
mixture  it  is  possible  to  be  transported  to  the  sun,  the  moon, 
and  the  stars,  and  you  can  hold  converse  with  the  elemental 
spirits  who  carry  the  prayers  of  men  to  God,  and  can  traverse 
276 


The  Sentence 

the  cities,  towns,  rivers,  and  fields  of  all  the  world.  Mix 
equal  parts  of  the  following  :  stramonium,  solanum,  somni- 
ferum,  henbane,  opium,  fresh  ends  of  hemp,  belladonna,  and 
thorn-apple.  Then  drink.  If  it  is  your  wish  we  will  go  this 
very  night  to  the  Sabbath  of  the  Spirits.  But  you  must 
love  me  more,  and  not  be  cold  to  me  like  you  were  the  other 
night,  refusing  to  give  me  even  ten  florins,  and  denying  that 
you  had  got  them  !  For  I  know  very  well  you  have  a 
treasure  in  your  hiding  but  will  not  tell  me  where.  Do  you 
not  love  me  any  more,  my  sweetheart  ? — Your  cold  devil, 

"  HANSKE." 

"  To  death  with  the  sorcerer  !  "  cried  the  crowd. 

The  bailiff  said  : 

"  Let  the  two  handwritings  be  compared." 

When  this  had  been  done,  and  when  it  had  been  found 
that  they  were  in  all  respects  similar,  the  bailiff  said  : 

"  After  these  proofs,  Messire  Joos  Damman  is  found  to  be 
a  sorcerer,  a  murderer,  a  seducer  of  women,  a  robber  of  the 
property  of  the  King,  and  as  such  he  must  be  accounted 
guilty  of  high  treason  against  God  and  man." 

And  the  bailiff  and  the  aldermen  gave  judgment  on  Joos 
Damman,  and  he  was  condemned  to  be  degraded  from  the 
rank  of  a  nobleman,  and  to  be  burned  alive  in  the  slower 
fire  till  death  supervened.  And  he  underwent  this  punish- 
ment on  the  following  day  in  front  of  the  Town  Hall.  And 
all  the  time  he  kept  on  crying :  "  Let  the  witch  perish,  it  is 
she  and  she  alone  who  is  guilty !  Cursed  be  God !  My 
father  will  avenge  me  !  " 

And  the  people  said :  "  Behold  how  he  curses  and  blas- 
phemes. He  is  dying  the  death  of  a  dog." 

On  the  next  day,  the  bailiff  and  the  aldermen  gave 
sentence  upon  Katheline.  She  was  condemned  to  undergo 
the  trial  by  water  in  the  Bruges  Canal.  If  she  floated  she 
would  be  burned  for  a  witch.  If  she  sank  and  was  drowned 

277 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

she  would  be  considered  to  have  died  the  death  of  a  Christian 
and  would  be  buried  in  the  churchyard. 

So  on  the  morrow  Katheline  was  conducted  to  the  canal- 
bank,  holding  a  candle  in  her  hand  and  walking  barefoot  in  a 
shift  of  black  linen.  Along  by  the  trees  went  the  long 
procession.  In  front  was  the  Dean  of  Notre  Dame,  chanting 
the  prayers  for  the  dead,  and  with  him  were  his  vicars,  and 
the  beadle  carrying  the  cross.  Behind  came  the  bailiff  of 
Damme,  the  aldermen,  the  clerks,  the  sergeants  of  the 
commune,  the  provost,  the  executioner  and  his  two  assistants. 
On  the  edge  of  the  procession  there  followed  a  great  crowd  of 
women  crying,  and  men  mourning,  in  pity  for  Katheline, 
who  herself  walked  like  a  lamb  that  allows  itself  to  be  led 
whither  it  knows  not.  And  all  the  time  she  kept  on  crying  : 

"  Put  out  the  fire  !  My  head  is  burning !  Hans,  where  are 
you  ?  " 

In  the  midst  of  the  women  was  Nele,  who  kept  crying  also  : 

"  Let  them  throw  me  in  with  her  !  " 

But  the  women  did  not  suffer  her  to  come  near  to 
Katheline. 

A  sharp  wind  came  blowing  in  from  the  sea,  and  from  the 
grey  sky  a  fine  hail  fell  dripping  into  the  water  of  the  canal. 
Now  there  was  a  boat  moored  by  the  side  of  the  water,  and 
this  boat  the  executioner  and  his  assistants  commandeered 
in  the  name  of  His  Royal  Majesty.  Then  Katheline  was 
ordered  to  step  down  into  the  boat.  She  obeyed  at  once, 
and  the  executioner  was  seen  standing  by  her  side  and  holding 
her  securely.  Then  the  provost  raised  the  rod  of  justice, 
and  the  executioner  threw  Katheline  into  the  canal.  For 
a  while  she  struggled,  but  soon  sank,  with  one  last  cry : 
"Hans!  Hans!  Help!" 

And  the  people  said  :   "  This  woman  was  no  witch." 

Thereafter  certain  men  who  were  there  jumped  into  the 
canal  and  dragged  Katheline  out  again,  senseless  and  rigid 
as  one  dead.  And  she  was  taken  into  a  tavern  near  by,  and 
278 


KATHELINE  LED  TO  THE 
TRIAL  BY  WATER 


The  End  of  Katheline 

placed  in  front  of  a  bright  fire.  Nele  took  off  her  garments 
wringing  wet  as  they  were,  meaning  to  put  dry  ones  on  her. 
After  a  while  she  regained  consciousness,  and  cried  out,  all 
trembling  and  with  her  teeth  chattering  :  "  Hans  !  Give  me 
a  cloak  of  wool !  " 

But  Katheline  could  not  be  warmed.  And  on  the  third 
day  she  died.  And  she  was  buried  in  the  garden  of  the 
church. 

And  Nele,  the  orphan,  went  away  into  Holland,  and 
dwelt  at  the  house  of  Rosa  van  Auweghem. 

XXXII 

In  those  days  it  was  that  the  Beggarmen,  among  whom 
were  Lamme  and  Ulenspiegel,  took  the  city  of  Gorcum  by 
storm.  And  they  were  led  in  this  enterprise  by  one  Captain 
Marin.  This  Marin  had  once  been  a  workman  on  the  dikes, 
but  now  he  bore  himself  with  great  haughtiness  and  effrontery, 
and  he  signed  an  agreement  with  Gaspard  Turc,  the  defender 
of  Gorcum,  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  the  city  should 
capitulate  on  condition  that  Turc  himself,  together  with  the 
monks,  citizens,  and  soldiers  who  had  been  shut  up  in  the 
citadel,  should  be  allowed  to  pass  out  freely,  their  muskets  on 
their  shoulders  and  with  anything  that  they  could  carry  with 
them — save  only  what  belonged  to  the  churches,  which  was 
to  remain  in  the  hands  of  the  victors.  But  in  spite  of  this 
agreement,  Captain  Marin,  acting  under  an  order  from 
Messire  de  Lumey,  detained  nineteen  monks  as  his  prisoners, 
while  the  rest  of  the  citizens  were  allowed  to  go  free  as  had 
been  promised. 

And  Ulenspiegel  said  : 

"  Word  of  a  soldier,  word  of  gold.  Why  has  the  captain 
been  false  to  his  promise  ?  " 

An  old  Beggarman  answered  Ulenspiegel : 

"  The  monks  are  the  sons  of  Satan,  the  canker  of  our 
nation,  the  shame  of  our  country.  Dogs  are  chained  up — 

279 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

let  the  monks  be  also  chained,  for  they  are  the  bloodhounds 
of  the  Duke.    Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !  " 

"  But,"  answered  Ulenspiegel,  "  we  must  remember  that 
my  Lord  of  Orange,  the  Prince  of  Liberty,  has  ordered  us  to 
respect  the  property  and  the  free  conscience  of  all  such  as 
give  themselves  up  into  our  power." 

Some  of  the  older  Beggarmen  replied  that  the  admiral 
could  not  do  so  in  the  case  of  the  monks.  "  And  he  is  master 
here,"  they  added.  "  It  was  he  that  took  La  Briele.  To 
prison  with  the  monks  !  " 

"  A  soldier's  word  is  a  word  of  gold,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 
"  Parole  de  soldat,  parole  d'or.  Why  should  we  ever  break 
our  word  ?  " 

"  No  longer  do  the  ashes  beat  upon  your  heart,"  they  told 
him.  "  Hear  you  not  the  souls  of  the  dead  that  cry  for 
vengeance  ?  " 

"  The  ashes  beat  upon  my  heart,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 
"  Parole  de  soldat,  c'est  parole  d'or." 

The  next  day  a  message  arrived  from  Messire  de  Lumey 
to  the  effect  that  the  nineteen  monks  were  to  be  brought  as 
prisoners  from  Gorcum  to  La  Briele  where  the  admiral  was 
then  stationed. 

"They  will  be  hanged,"  said  Captain  Marin  to  Ulen- 
spiegel. 

"  Not  as  long  as  I  am  alive,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  My  son,"  said  Lamme,  "  you  must  not  speak  in  this 
way  to  Messire  de  Lumey.  He  is  a  stern  man,  and  will  have 
you  hanged  as  well  as  the  monks  if  you  are  not  careful." 

"  I  shall  tell  him  the  truth,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 
"  Parole  de  sold  at,  c'est  parole  d'or" 

"  If  you  think  that  you  can  save  them,"  said  Marin, 
"  I  will  give  you  permission  to  go  with  them  by  ship  to 
La  Briele.  Take  Rochus  with  you  as  pilot,  and  your  friend 
Lamme  if  you  please  as  well." 

"  I  will,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 
280 


By  Ship  to  La  Briele 

The  ship  was  moored  by  the  quay  side,  and  the  nineteen 
monks  were  taken  aboard.  Rochus  took  charge  of  the  helm, 
while  Ulenspiegel  and  Lamme  placed  themselves  at  the  bow. 
Certain  vagabond  soldiers  who  had  joined  the  Beggarmen  for 
the  sake  of  plunder  were  stationed  by  the  monks,  who  now 
began  to  wax  hungry.  Ulenspiegel  gave  them  food  and  drink. 
Then  the  sailors  began  to  murmur  one  to  another,  saying : 
"  This  man  is  a  traitor."  Meanwhile  the  nineteen  monks  were 
seated  sanctimoniously  in  the  midst,  and  they  were  shivering 
although  the  month  was  July  and  the  sun  was  shining  hot 
and  clear,  and  a  gentle  breeze  filled  the  sails  of  the  ship  as  it 
glided,  heavy  and  full-bellied,  over  the  green  waves. 

Father  Nicholas  then  began  to  speak,  addressing  himself 
to  the  pilot : 

"  O  Rochus,"  he  said,  "  are  they  taking  us  to  the  gallows- 
field  ?  "  Then,  turning  his  face  towards  Gorcum  :  "  O  city  of 
Gorcum,"  he  cried,  stretching  out  his  hands,  "  O  city  of 
Gorcum,  how  many  evils  hast  thou  still  to  suffer  !  Verily 
thou  shalt  be  cursed  among  all  the  cities  of  the  earth,  for  thou 
hast  nurtured  within  thy  walls  the  seed  of  heresy  !  O  city  of 
Gorcum  !  For  now  no  longer  shall  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
stand  watch  above  thy  gates,  no  longer  shall  he  have  any  care 
for  the  modesty  of  thy  virgins,  or  the  courage  of  thy  men, 
or  for  the  fortunes  of  thy  merchants  !  O  city  of  Gorcum, 
accursed  thou  art  and  doomed  to  misfortune  !  " 

"  Cursed  and  accursed  indeed ! "  answered  Ulenspiegel. 
"  As  accursed  as  is  the  comb  that  has  combed  away  the  lice 
of  Spain,  or  accursed  as  the  dog  that  has  broken  the  chain 
that  held  him  captive,  or  as  the  proud  charger  that  has 
thrown  from  his  back  the  cruel  cavalier  !  Be  cursed  yourself, 
silly  preacher  that  you  are,  who  think  it  an  evil  thing  to 
break  the  rod  upon  the  back  of  a  tyrant,  even  if  it  be  a  rod 
of  iron  ! " 

The  monk  was  silenced,  and  dropping  his  eyes  he  seemed 
lost  in  a  dream  of  hate  and  bigotry. 

281 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

The  next  morning  they  arrived  at  La  Briele,  and  a 
messenger  was  sent  to  advise  Messire  de  Lumey  of  their 
coming. 

As  soon  as  he  had  received  the  news  he  set  out  to  go 
to  them  on  horseback,  half  dressed  as  he  was,  and  with 
him  went  a  company  of  armed  men,  some  on  foot  and  some 
on  horseback.  And  now  once  again  was  it  given  to  Ulen- 
spiegel to  behold  this  fierce  admiral  dressed  as  he  was  like 
some  noble,  proud  and  opulent. 

"  Welcome,"  said  he,  "  Sir  Monks.  And  now  hold  up 
your  hands  and  show  me  there  the  blood  of  my  Lords  of 
Egmont  and  Hoorn  !  " 

One  of  the  monks,  whose  name  was  Leonard,  made 
answer : 

"  Do  what  you  like  with  us.  We  are  monks.  No  one 
will  make  any  objection." 

"  He  has  well  spoken,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  For  having 
broken  with  the  world — that  is  with  father,  mother,  brother 
and  sister,  wife  and  sweetheart — a  monk  finds  no  one  at  the 
hour  of  God  to  claim  anything  on  his  behalf.  Nevertheless, 
your  Excellency,  I  will  do  so.  For  Captain  Marin,  when  he 
signed  the  treaty  for  the  capitulation  of  Gorcum,  stipulated 
that  these  monks  should  be  free  like  all  the  others  that  were 
taken  in  the  citadel  and  were  allowed  to  go  out  from  it. 
But  in  spite  of  this,  and  for  no  adequate  reason,  these  monks 
were  kept  prisoner,  and  now  it  is  reported  that  they  are  to  be 
hanged.  My  Lord,  I  address  myself  to  you  right  humbly  on 
their  behalf,  for  I  know  that  the  word  of  a  soldier  is  a  word 
of  gold — ^parole  de  soldat,  c^est  parole  d'or." 

"  And  who  are  you  ?  "  asked  Messire  de  Lumey. 

"  My  Lord,"  replied  Ulenspiegel,  "  a  Fleming  I  am  from 
the  lovely  land  of  Flanders,  working  man,  nobleman,  all  in 
one — and  I  go  wandering  through  the  world,  praising  things 
beautiful  and  good  but  boldly  making  fun  of  foolishness. 
And  verily  I  will  sing  your  praises  if  you  will  keep  the 
282 


Arrival  of  the  Messenger 

promise  which   was  made    to  these   men  by  the  captain  : 
parole  de  soldat,  c*  est  'parole  d'or" 

But  the  good-for-nothing  Beggarmen  who  were  on  the 
ship  cried  out  at  this. 

"  My  Lord,"  said  they,  "  this  man  is  a  traitor.  He  has 
promised  them  that  he  will  save  them,  and  he  has  been 
loading  them  with  bread  and  ham  and  sausages.  But  to  us 
he  has  given  nothing  at  all." 

Then  Messire  de  Lumey  said  to  Ulenspiegel : 

"  Wandering  Fleming  that  you  are,  and  protector  of 
monks,  I  tell  you  I  will  have  you  hanged  with  them." 

"  I  am  not  afraid,"  replied  Ulenspiegel.  "  Parole  de  soldat, 
c*est  parole  d'or." 

The  monks  were  led  away  to  a  barn,  and  Ulenspiegel  with 
them.  There  they  tried  to  convert  him  with  many  theo- 
logical arguments  ;  but  these  soon  sent  him  to  sleep. 

In  the  meanwhile  Messire  de  Lumey  was  feasting  at  a  table 
covered  with  meats  and  wines  when  a  messenger  arrived  from 
Gorcum  from  Captain  Marin,  bringing  with  him  copies  of 
those  letters  of  William  the  Silent,  Prince  of  Orange,  which 
ordered  "  all  governors  of  cities  and  other  places  to  confer 
the  same  privileges  of  safety  and  surety  on  ecclesiastics  as 
on  the  rest  of  the  people." 

The  messenger  asked  to  be  brought  into  the  presence  of 
de  Lumey  so  that  he  might  put  into  his  own  hands  the  copies 
of  these  letters. 

"  Where  are  the  originals  ?  "  inquired  de  Lumey. 

"  My  master  has  them,"  said  the  messenger. 

"  And  the  churl  sends  me  the  copy !  "  said  de  Lumey. 
"  Where  is  your  passport  ?  " 

"  Here,  my  Lord,"  said  the  messenger. 

Then  Messire  de  Lumey  began  to  read  it  aloud : 

"  My  Lord  and  Master  Marin  Brandt  commands  all 
ministers,  governors,  and  officers  of  the  Republic  that  they 
should  allow  to  pass  .  .  ."  etc. 

283 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

De  Lumey  struck  the  table  with  his  fist,  and  tore  the 
passport  in  two. 

"  Sang  de  Dieu  !  "  he  cried.  "  What  is  he  doing  meddling 
here,  this  Marin  ?  This  trumpery  fellow  who  before  the 
taking  of  La  Briele  had  not  so  much  as  the  bone  of  a  smoked 
herring  to  place  between  his  teeth  !  He  calls  himself  '  My 
Lord '  forsooth,  and  '  Master,'  and  sends  to  me  his  '  orders ' ! 
He  commands  and  orders  !  You  may  tell  your  master  that 
since  he  is  so  much  of  a  Captain  and  so  much  of  a  My  Lord, 
ordering  and  commanding  so  excellently  well,  the  monks 
shall  be  hanged  forthwith,  and  you  with  them  if  you  don't 
get  out  at  once." 

And  he  gave  the  man  a  great  kick  and  had  him  removed 
from  the  room. 

"  Bring  me  to  drink,"  he  cried.  "  Have  you  ever  seen 
anything  to  compare  with  the  effrontery  of  this  Marin  ? 
I  could  spit  my  food  out,  so  angry  I  am.  Let  the  monks  be 
hanged  immediately,  and  let  the  wandering  Fleming  be  brought 
hither  to  me  as  soon  as  he  has  witnessed  the  execution.  We 
will  see  if  he  still  dares  to  tell  me  that  I  have  done  wrong. 
Blood  of  God !  What  are  these  pots  and  glasses  doing  here  ?  " 

And  with  a  great  noise  he  brake  the  bowls  and  dishes, 
and  no  one  durst  say  anything  to  him.  The  servants  would 
have  cleared  up  the  debris  but  he  would  not  allow  them,  but 
went  on  drinking  yet  more  ;  and  growing  more  and  more 
enraged  he  strode  up  and  down  the  room,  treading  the  broken 
pieces  and  stamping  upon  them  furiously. 

Ulenspiegel  was  brought  before  him. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  said.  "  What  news  of  your  friends  the 
monks  ?  " 

"  They  have  been  hanged,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  And  those 
cowards  of  executioners,  whose  game  it  is  to  kill  for  profit, 
have  cut  one  of  them  open  to  sell  the  fat  to  an  apothecary. 
And  now  the  word  of  a  soldier  is  gold  no  more.  Parole  de 
soldat  n'est  plus  parole  (For" 
284 


"  SHAME  ON  YOU," 
CRIED  ULENSPIEGEL 


The  Word  of  a  Soldier 

Then  de  Lumey  stamped  again  upon  the  broken  dishes. 

"  So  you  defy  me,  do  you,  you  good-for-nothing  beast ! 
But  you  also  shall  be  hanged,  not  in  my  barn  forsooth,  but  in 
the  open  street,  most  ignominiously,  where  all  can  see  you  !  " 

"  Shame  on  you,"  cried  Ulenspiegel.  "  Shame  on  us  all ! 
Parole  de  soldat  rfest  plus  parole  tfor" 

"  Silence,  Iron-pate  !  "  said  Messire  de  Lumey. 

"  Shame  on  you  again  !  "  cried  Ulenspiegel.  "  Parole  de 
soldat  n'est  plus  parole  d'or.  You  ought  rather  to  be  punishing 
those  rascals  that  are  merchants  in  human  fat !  " 

At  this  Messire  de  Lumey  rushed  at  Ulenspiegel  and  raised 
his  hand  to  strike  at  him. 

"  Strike,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  I  am  in  your  hands.  But 
I  have  no  fear  at  all  of  you.  Parole  de  soldat  rfest  plus  parole 
tforr 

Messire  de  Lumey  drew  his  sword,  and  would  certainly 
have  killed  Ulenspiegel  had  not  Messire  Tres-Long  taken  him 
by  the  arm,  saying : 

"  Have  mercy.  He  is  a  brave  and  valiant  man  and  has 
committed  no  crime." 

Then  de  Lumey  thought  better  of  the  matter. 

"  Let  him  ask  my  pardon  then,"  he  said. 

But  Ulenspiegel  stood  his  ground. 

"  Never,"  he  said. 

"  At  least  he  must  admit  that  I  was  not  in  the  wrong," 
cried  de  Lumey,  growing  angry  again. 

Ulenspiegel  answered  : 

"  I  will  lick  no  man's  boots.  Parole  de  soldat  n'est  plus 
parole  d'or." 

"  Tell  them  to  put  up  the  gallows,"  said  de  Lumey, 
"  and  let  this  man  be  taken  where  he  may  hear  the  way  a 
halter  speaks." 

"  Yes,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  and  I  will  cry  out  there  in 
front  of  all  the  people,  Parole  de  soldat  n'est  plus  parole  d'or" 

The  gallows  was  set  up  in  the  market  square,  and  the  news 

285 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

spread  swiftly  through  the  city  how  Ulenspiegel,  the  brave 
Beggarman,  was  going  to  be  hanged.  And  the  populace  was 
moved  with  pity  and  compassion,  and  a  great  crowd  collected 
in  the  market  square.  And  Messire  de  Lumey  came  there 
also,  being  desirous  himself  to  give  the  signal  for  the  execution. 

He  regarded  Ulenspiegel  without  pity  as  he  stood  upon 
the  scaffold,  dressed  to  meet  his  death  in  a  single  garment 
with  his  arms  bound  to  his  sides,  his  hands  clasped  together, 
the  cord  round  his  neck,  and  the  executioner  ready  to  do 
the  deed. 

Tres-Long  said  : 

"  My  Lord,  pardon  him  now  ;  he  is  no  traitor,  and  no  one 
has  ever  heard  of  a  man  being  hanged  simply  because  he  was 
sincere  and  pitiful." 

And  the  men  and  women  in  the  crowd,  hearing  Tres-Long 
speak  in  this  wise,  cried  out  also :  "  Have  pity,  my  Lord ! 
Mercy  and  pardon  for  Ulenspiegel !  " 

"  The  Iron-pate  has  defied  me,"  said  de  Lumey.  u  Let 
him  admit  he  was  wrong  and  that  I  was  in  the  right." 

"  Will  you  ?  "  said  Tres-Long  to  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Parole  de  soldat  rfest  plus  parole  d'or"  Ulenspiegel 
answered. 

"  Draw  the  cord,"  said  de  Lumey. 

The  executioner  was  about  to  obey  when  a  young  maid, 
dressed  all  in  white  and  with  a  wreath  of  flowers  round  her 
head,  ran  up  the  steps  of  the  scaffold  like  one  mad,  and  threw 
herself  on  the  neck  of  Ulenspiegel. 

"  This  man  is  mine,"  she  said.  "  I  take  him  for  my 
husband." 

And  the  people  broke  into  applause,  and  the  women  cried 
aloud  : 

"  Long  live  the  maid,  long  live  the  maid  that  has  saved 
the  life  of  Ulenspiegel !  " 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  demanded  Messire  de  Lumey. 

Tres-Long  answered  : 
286 


Nele  to  the  Rescue 

"  You  must  know  that  by  the  legal  usages  and  customs 
of  our  city  any  young  maid  or  unmarried  girl  has  the  right 
to  save  a  man  from  hanging,  provided  that  she  be  willing  to 
take  him  for  her  husband  at  the  foot  of  the  gallows." 

"  God  is  on  his  side,"  said  de  Lumey.  "  Unloose  his 
fetters." 

Then  riding  up  close  to  the  scaffold  he  saw  how  the 
executioner  was  endeavouring  to  prevent  the  maid  from 
severing  the  cords  which  bound  Ulenspiegel,  telling  her  at 
the  same  time  that  he  didn't  know  who  would  pay  the  price 
of  the  cords  if  she  cut  them.  But  the  damsel  did  not  appear 
even  to  hear  him.  Seeing  her  so  hasty  in  her  love  and  so 
cunning  withal,  the  heart  of  de  Lumey  was  softened  within 
him,  and  he  asked  the  maid  who  she  might  be. 

"  I  am  Nele,"  she  answered  him,  "  the  betrothed  of 
Ulenspiegel,  and  I  am  come  from  Flanders  to  seek  him." 

"  You  have  done  well,"  said  de  Lumey  in  a  disdainful 
tone.  And  he  went  away. 

Then  Tres-Long  approached  the  scaffold. 

"  Young  Fleming,"  he  said,  "  when  once  you  are  married, 
will  you  still  serve  as  a  soldier  in  our  ships  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

"  But  you,  my  girl,  what  will  you  do  without  your  hus- 
band ?  " 

Nele  answered  : 

"  If  you  will  allow  me,  sir,  I  am  fain  to  become  a  piper 
in  his  ship." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Tres-Long. 

And  he  gave  her  two  florins  for  the  wedding  feast.  And 
Lamme  cried  for  joy  and  laughed  at  the  same  time,  and  he 
gave  her  three  other  florins,  saying  :  "  We  will  eat  them  all. 
And  I  will  pay.  Let  us  to  the  sign  of  the  Golden  Comb. 
He  is  not  dead,  my  friend.  Long  live  the  Beggarmen  !  " 

And  the  people  shouted  assent,  and  they  repaired  to  the 
tavern  of  the  Golden  Comb,  where  a  great  feast  was  ordered, 

287 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

and  from  an  upper  window  Lamme  threw  down  pennies  to 
the  people  in  the  street  below. 

And  Ulenspiegel  said  to  Nele  : 

"  Sweetest  and  best  beloved,  here  we  are  together  once 
again !  Noel !  For  she  is  here,  flesh,  heart,  and  soul  of  my 
sweet  love.  Oh,  her  soft  eyes  and  her  red  and  lovely  lips 
that  can  speak  naught  but  words  of  kindness  !  She  has 
saved  my  life,  my  tender  lover  !  And  now  it's  you  and  only 
you  that  shall  play  upon  our  ship  the  fife  of  deliverance ! 
Do  you  remember  .  .  .  but  no  ...  This  is  our  hour  of  joy, 
and  all  for  me  is  now  this  face,  sweet  as  June  flowers.  I  am 
in  Paradise.  But  why,  tell  me  ...  You  are  crying  !  " 

"  They  have  killed  her,"  she  said.  And  then  Nele  told  him 
all  the  sad  story  of  the  death  of  Katheline.  And  gazing  one 
at  the  other  they  wept  for  love  and  for  sorrow. 

But  at  the  feast  they  ate  and  drank,  and  Lamme  as  he 
looked  upon  them  grieved  within  himself,  saying  : 

"  Alas  !   my  wife,  where  are  you  ?  " 

And  the  priest  came  and  married  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel. 

And  the  morning  found  them  side  by  side  in  their  bed  of 
marriage. 

And  Nele's  head  was  resting  on  the  shoulder  of  Ulen- 
spiegel. And  when  the  sun  had  awakened  her  he  said  : 

"  Fresh  face,  soft  heart,  we  two  will  be  the  avengers  of 
the  land  of  Flanders  !  " 

She  kissed  him  on  the  mouth,  saying  : 

"  Wild  head,  strong  arms,  God  bless  my  fife  and  your 
sword." 

"  I  will  make  for  you  a  soldier's  habit,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 

"  Now  ?     At  once  ?  " 

"  At  once,"  he  told  her.  "  But  who  was  that  man  who 
said  that  strawberries  were  sweet  in  the  early  morning  ? 
Your  lips  are  far,  far  sweeter." 


288 


The  End  of  King  Philip 

XXXIII 

By  sea,  by  river,  in  fair  weather  and  foul,  through  snows 
of  winter  and  summer's  heat,  the  ships  of  the  Beggarmen 
sailed  before  the  breeze.  Full-bellied  was  their  canvas 
and  white  as  the  down  of  swans — white  swans  of  Liberty. 

But  to  the  King  of  Blood  came  the  news  of  their  con- 
quests, and  death  was  already  at  work  upon  his  vitals,  and 
his  body  was  full  of  worms.  And  he  dragged  himself  along 
the  corridors  of  his  palace  at  Valladolid,  and  he  never  laughed 
— not  even  at  daybreak,  what  time  the  Sun  rose  to  irradiate 
all  the  lands  of  his  empire  as  with  the  very  smile  of  God. 

But  Ulenspiegel,  Lamme,  and  Nele  sang  out  like  birds, 
living  from  day  to  day,  having  joy  to  hear  of  many  a  funeral 
pyre  put  out  by  the  brave  Beggarmen.  And  Tyl  sang  five 
songs,  all  to  the  glory  of  the  land  of  Flanders  and  to  the 
despite  of  her  enemies. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  on  a  day,  having  taken  the 
towns  of  Rammeken,  Gertruydenberg,  and  Alckmaer,  the 
Beggarmen  returned  to  Flushing.  And  there  in  the  harbour 
they  beheld  a  little  boat  moored.  And  in  the  boat  was  a 
pretty-looking  woman  with  golden-brown  hair,  brown  eyes, 
fresh  cheeks,  rounded  arms,  and  white  hands.  And  all  at 
once  the  woman  cried  out : 

"  Lamme  !  Lamme ! "  And  then  again  :  "  Ah,  but  you 
must  not  approach  me  !  I  have  taken  a  vow  before  God. 
.  .  .  Yet  I  love  you.  Ah,  my  dear  husband  !  " 

Nele  said :  "  It  is  Calleken  Huysbrechts — the  fair  Cal- 
leken  !  " 

"  Even  so,"  answered  the  woman.  "  But,  alas !  the 
hour  of  noon  has  already  struck  for  my  beauty."  And  she 
looked  very  sorrowful. 

But  now  Lamme  jumped  down  from  the  ship  into  a 
little  skiff,  which  was  straightway  brought  alongside  of  the 
boat  wherein  was  his  wife. 

T  289 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

"  What  have  you  been  doing  ?  "  he  asked  her.  "  What 
has  been  happening  to  you  ?  Why  did  you  leave  me  ? 
And  why  now  do  you  make  as  though  you  would  have  none 
of  me  ?  " 

Then  Calleken  told  him,  in  a  voice  that  oftentimes  trembled 
with  tears,  how  that  she  had  entrusted  the  care  of  her  soul 
to  a  monk,  one  Brother  Cornelis  Adriaensen,  and  how  he 
had  warned  her  against  her  husband  for  that  hejwas  a 
heretic  and  a  consorter  with  heretics.  How  also  by  his 
eloquence  he  had  persuaded  her  that  a  life  of  celibacy  was 
most  pleasing  unto  God  and  his  saints,  albeit  he  oftentimes 
profaned  the  holy  confessional  with  many  a  penance  that 
was  most  distressful  to  her  modesty.  "  Nevertheless,"  she 
ended,  "  I  swear  before  God  that  I  remained  ever  faithful 
to  you,  my  husband,  for  I  loved  you." 

But  Lamme  gazed  upon  her  sadly  and  reproachfully,  so 
that  Nele  said  to  him  : 

"  If  Calleken  has  been  faithful  as  she  says,  it  behoves 
her  now  to  leave  you  in  very  deed,  as  a  punishment  for  your 
unkindness." 

"  He  knows  not  how  I  love  him,"  said  Calleken. 

"  Is  this  the  truth  ?  "  cried  Lamme.  And  then  seeing 
that  it  was  so :  "  Then  come,  wife,"  he  cried,  "  the  winter  is 
over !  " 

Thereafter,  having  given  and  received  from  all  the  kiss 
of  peace  :  "  Come  now,"  cried  Lamme,  "  come,  wife,  with  me. 
For  now  is  the  hour  of  lawful  loves  !  " 

And  together  they  sailed  away  in  their  little  boat. 

Meanwhile  the  soldiers,  the  sailors,  and  the  ship's  boys 
that  stood  around,  all  waved  their  caps  in  the  air  and 
shouted  :  "  Adieu,  brother !  Adieu,  Lamme  !  Adieu,  brother 
— brother  and  friend  !  " 

And  Nele  removed  with  the  tip  of  her  sweet  ringer  a 
tear  that  had  settled  in   the  corner  of  the  eye  of  Ulen- 
spiegel. 
902 


The  Season  of  Harvest 

"  You  are  sad,  my  love  ?  "  she  asked  him. 

"  He  was  good,"  Tyl  said. 

Nele  sighed. 

"  Ah  !  This  war — will  it  never  end  ?  Must  we  live  for 
ever  thus,  in  the  midst  of  blood  and  tears  ?  " 

"  Let  us  seek  the  Seven,"  said  Ulenspiegel.  "  The  hour 
of  deliverance  is  at  hand." 

XXXIV 

It  was  the  season  of  harvest.  The  air  was  heavy,  the 
wind  warm.  They  that  gathered  the  harvest  were  able  now 
to  reap  at  their  ease,  under  a  free  sky  and  from  a  free 
soil,  the  corn  they  had  sown. 

Frise,  Drenthe,  Overyssel,  Gueldre,  Utrecht,  Noord 
Barbant,  Noord  and  Zuid  Holland ;  Walcheren,  Noord  and 
Zuid  Beveland ;  Duiveland  and  Schouwen  which  together 
make  up  Zeeland  ;  the  sea-bordering  lands  to  the  north  from 
Knokke  to  Helder ;  the  isles  of  Texel,  Vlieland,  Ameland,  and 
Schiermonik  Oog — all  were  being  delivered  from  the  Spanish 
yoke,  from  the  Eastern  Scheldt  to  the  Oost  Ems.  And  Maurice, 
the  son  of  William  the  Silent,  was  continuing  the  war. 

Ulenspiegel  and  Nele  kept  still  their  youthfulness,  their 
strength  and  their  beauty,  for  the  Love  and  the  Spirit  of 
Flanders  never  grow  old.  And  they  lived  happily  at  the 
Tower  of  Neere,  waiting  for  that  day  when,  after  so  many 
cruel  trials,  they  would  be  able  to  breathe  the  breath  of 
liberty  upon  their  native  land  of  Belgium. 

Ulenspiegel  had  asked  to  be  made  governor  and  guardian 
of  the  Tower.  For  he  had,  so  he  said,  the  eyes  of  an  eagle 
and  the  ears  of  a  hare,  and  so  he  would  be  able  to  see  at 
once  if  the  Spaniard  ever  dared  to  show  himself  again  in  the 
lands  that  had  been  delivered  from  his  yoke.  Then  quickly 
would  he  sound  the  wacharm,  the  alarm-bell  as  we  call  it  in 
our  tongue. 

To  this  request  the  magistrate  consented,  and  in  virtue 

291 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

of  the  good  service  he  had  rendered,  Ulenspiegel  was  allowed 
a  florin  every  day,  two  pints  of  beer,  a  ration  of  beans,  cheese, 
biscuits,  and  three  pounds  of  beef  weekly. 

And  so  did  Ulenspiegel  and  Nele  live  on  the  Tower 
together  very  happily,  having  joy  to  see  in  the  distance  the 
free  isles  of  Zeeland,  and  near  at  hand  the  woods  and  castles 
and  fortresses,  and  the  armed  ships  of  the  Beggarmen  that 
guarded  the  coast. 

At  night  they  would  often  mount  to  the  top  of  the  Tower, 
and  there  they  would  sit  together  on  the  flat  roof,  talking  of 
many  a  stern  battle  and  telling  many  a  tale  of  love,  past  and  to 
come.  And  from  their  Tower  they  could  see  the  ocean,  which, 
when  the  weather  was  hot,  furled  and  unfurled  along  the 
shore  its  shining  waves,  and  threw  them  upon  the  island- 
coasts  like  wraiths  of  fire.  And  among  the  polders  the 
will-o'-the-wisps  would  come  a-dancing.  And  Nele  was 
afraid  of  them,  for  she  said  they  were  the  souls  of  the  poor 
dead.  And  true  it  was  that  all  those  places  where  they  danced 
had  once  been  fields  of  battle.  And  the  will-o'-the-wisps 
would  oftentimes  spring  forth  from  the  polders,  and  run 
along  the  dikes,  and  then  return  again  to  the  polders,  as 
though  unwilling  to  leave  the  bodies  whence  they  had  come. 

One  night  Nele  said  to  Ulenspiegel : 

"  Behold  how  many  spirits  there  are  in  Dreiveland,  and 
how  high  they  fly  !  Over  there  by  the  Isle  of  Birds  they  seem 
to  crowd  the  thickest.  Will  you  come  with  me  there  one 
night,  Tyl  ?  We  would  take  with  us  the  balm  that  can  show 
us  things  invisible  to  mortal  eyes." 

But  Ulenspiegel  answered  : 

"  If  you  mean  the  balm  we  took  when  we  went  to  the 
great  Sabbath  of  Spring,  I  have  no  more  faith  or  confidence 
in  what  we  saw  there  than  in  any  idle  dream." 

"  It  is  wrong  to  deny  the  power  of  charms,"  said  Nele. 
"  Come,  Ulenspiegel !  " 

"  Very  well,"  he  said. 
292 


The  Isle  of  Birds 

The  next  day  Ulenspiegel  arranged  with  the  magistrate 
that  one  of  the  soldiers  who  had  clear  sight  and  a  faithful 
heart  should  take  his  place  at  the  Tower  for  that  one  evening. 
And  away  he  went  with  Nele  towards  the  Isle  of  Birds. 

They  passed  along  by  many  a  field  and  dike,  till  at  last 
they  saw  the  sea  in  front  of  them,  and  in  it  were  set  many 
little  green  islands  with  the  waves  coursing  in  between.  And 
all  about  the  grassy  hills,  which  soon  began  to  lose  themselves 
in  the  sand-dunes,  a  great  quantity  of  peewits  were  flying 
high  and  low,  and  sea-gulls  and  sea-swallows.  Some  of  these 
birds  would  crowd  together  on  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and 
stay  there  quite  still,  so  that  they  looked  like  little  white 
islets  ;  and  above  them  and  about  flew  thousands  of  their 
fellows.  The  very  soil  itself  was  full  of  their  nests,  and 
Ulenspiegel  stooped  down  to  pick  up  one  of  their  eggs  which 
was  lying  on  the  road.  No  sooner  had  he  done  so  than  a  sea- 
gull came  flapping  towards  him,  crying  out  the  while  most 
dolefully.  And  in  answer  to  this  summons  there  flew  up  a 
hundred  other  sea-gulls,  crying  out  as  if  in  anguish,  hovering 
about  the  head  of  Ulenspiegel  and  over  the  neighbouring 
nests.  But  they  did  not  dare  to  approach  him. 

"  Ulenspiegel,"  said  Nele,  "  these  birds  are  asking  you  to 
have  mercy  on  their  eggs." 

Then  she  began  to  tremble,  and  said  : 

"  I  am  afraid.  Behold,  the  sun  is  setting,  the  sky  is  pale, 
the  stars  are  awakening,  it  is  the  hour  of  the  spirits.  And 
look  at  these  ruddy  exhalations  which  rise  all  about  us  and 
seem  as  it  were  to  trail  along  the  ground.  Tyl,  my  beloved, 
what  monster  from  hell  may  he  be  who  thus  in  the  mist 
begins  to  open  his  fiery  mouth  ?  And  look  over  there  towards 
Philipsland.  It  was  there  that  the  murderer  king  had  all 
those  poor  men  done  to  death,  not  once  but  twice,  and  all 
for  the  sake  of  his  cruel  ambition  !  And  there  this  night  the 
will-o'-the-wisps  are  dancing.  For  this  is  the  night  when 
the  souls  of  poor  men  killed  in  battle  leave  their  bodies  all 

293 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

cold  in  purgatory,  and  come  to  warm  themselves  once  again 
in  the  tepid  air  of  earth.  This  is  the  hour  when  you  may  ask 
anything  you  will  of  Christ,  He  who  is  Lord  of  all  good 
wizards." 

"  The  ashes  beat  upon  my  heart,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 
"  Would  that  He  would  show  me  those  Seven  whose  ashes, 
they  say,  when  thrown  to  the  winds,  would  make  Flanders 
happy  again,  and  all  the  world  !  " 

"  O  man  without  faith,"  said  Nele.  "  By  the  power  of 
the  balm  it  may  be  you  will  see  them." 

"  Maybe,"  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  if  some  spirit,  forsooth, 
would  come  down  to  visit  us  from  that  cold  star."  And  he 
pointed  with  his  finger  to  the  star  Sirius. 

No  sooner  had  he  made  this  gesture  than  a  will-o'-the-wisp 
that  had  been  flying  round  them  came  and  attached  itself 
to  his  finger,  and  the  more  Ulenspiegel  tried  to  shake  it  off  the 
firmer  the  little  wisp  held  on.  Nele  tried  to  free  Ulenspiegel, 
but  now  she  also  had  a  little  wisp  firm  on  the  tip  of  her 
finger,  and  neither  would  it  let  her  go.  Ulenspiegel  began 
to  flick  at  the  wisp  with  his  free  hand,  saying  : 

"  Answer  me  now,  are  you  the  soul  of  a  Beggarman  or  of 
a  Spaniard  ?  If  you  are  a  Beggarman's  you  may  go  to 
Paradise,  but  if  a  Spaniard's,  return  to  the  hell  whence  you 
came." 

Nele  said  to  him  : 

"Do  not  abuse  the  souls  of  the  dead,  even  though  they 
be  the  souls  of  murderers  !  " 

Then,  making  the  little  will-o'-the-wisp  to  dance  at  the  end 
of  her  finger  : 

"  Wisp,"  she  said,  "  gentle  wisp,  come  tell  me  what  news 
do  you  bring  from  the  land  of  souls  ?  What  rule  do  they  live 
by  down  there  ?  Do  they  eat  and  drink,  having  no  mouths  ? 
For  you  have  none,  my  sweet !  Or  wait  they,  perhaps,  till 
they  come  to  blessed  Paradise  ere  taking  upon  themselves 
a  human  form  ?  " 
294 


The  Giant  Hand 

"  Why  waste  time  in  talking  to  a  peevish  little  flame  that 
has  no  ears  to  hear  with,  no  mouth  wherewith  to  answer  ?  " 
said  Ulenspiegel. 

But  paying  no  attention  to  him,  Nele  went  on  : 

"  Wisp  of  mine,  answer  me  now  by  dancing.  For  I  am 
going  to  question  you  thrice.  Once  in  the  name  of  God,  once 
in  the  name  of  Our  Lady,  and  once  in  the  name  of  the  Elemental 
Spirits  who  are  the  messengers  between  God  and  men." 

And  this  she  did,  and  three  times  did  the  elf  dance  in 
answer. 

Then  Nele  said  to  Ulenspiegel : 

"  Take  off  your  clothes,  and  I  will  do  the  same.  See, 
here  is  the  silver  box  which  holds  the  balm  of  vision." 

"  Be  it  as  you  wish,"  answered  Ulenspiegel. 

When  they  had  undressed  and  anointed  themselves  with 
the  balm  of  vision,  they  lay  down  naked  as  they  were  beside 
one  another  on  the  grass. 

The  sea-gulls  screamed ;  the  thunder  growled  and 
rumbled,  and  in  the  darkness  the  lightning  flashed.  Between 
two  clouds  the  moon  scarcely  showed  her  crescent's  golden 
horns ;  and  the  will-o'-the-wisps  departed  from  Nele  and 
Ulenspiegel  to  go  off  dancing  with  their  comrades  in  the  fields. 

Suddenly  a  great  giant  hand  took  hold  of  Nele  and  her 
lover,  and  threw  them  high  in  air  as  though  they  had  been 
a  child's  playthings.  Then  the  giant  caught  them  again, 
rolled  them  one  on  the  other  and  kneaded  them  between  his 
hands,  and  after  that  he  threw  them  into  a  pool  of  water 
that  lay  between  the  hills,  and  last  of  all  he  dragged  them 
out  again  full  of  water  and  water-weeds.  And  the  giant 
began  to  sing  in  a  voice  so  loud  that  all  the  sea-gulls  of  the 
islands  awakened  in  terror  : 

With  eyes  that  squint  they  would  discern, 
These  silly,  wandering  insect-mortals, 
The  sacred  symbols  none  may  learn, 
Safe  guarded  now  within  our  portals 

295 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Read,  then,  flea,  the  mystery  high, 
Read  then,  louse,  the  secret  vast, 
Which  to  earth  and  air  and  sky 
By  seven  nails  is  anchored  fast ! 

And  now  it  was  that  Ulenspiegel  and  Nele  discerned  on 
the  grass  and  in  the  air  and  in  the  sky,  seven  tablets  of  bronze 
all  strangely  luminous.  And  they  were  held  there  by  seven 
flaming  nails.  And  on  the  tablets  was  written  : 

From  the  dung-heap  flowers  arise, 
Seven  are  wicked,  but  seven  are  good. 
Hid  in  coal  the  diamond  lies, 
Bad  teacher  oft  makes  pupil  wise  ; 
Seven  are  bad,  but  seven  are  good. 

And  the  giant  walked  on,  followed  by  all  the  will-o'-the- 
wisps,  who  were  whispering  together  like  grasshoppers,  and 
saying : 

Look  at  him  well — the  Master  of  All, 
Before  him  Gcesar  himself  must  fall. 
Pope  of  Popes,  King  of  Kings, 
Fashioned  of  wood  he  is  Lord  of  All  Things. 

Suddenly  the  lines  of  the  giant's  face  suffered  a  change. 
He  seemed  thinner,  sadder  and  greater  than  ever.  And  in 
one  hand  he  held  a  sceptre,  and  in  the  other  a  sword.  And 
his  name  was  Pride. 

And  throwing  Nele  and  Ulenspiegel  to  the  ground,  he 
said : 

"  I  am  God." 

Then  by  his  side  there  appeared  a  ruddy-faced  girl,  and 
she  was  seated  on  the  back  of  a  goat,  and  her  bosom  was 
bare,  her  gown  half  open,  and  she  had  a  wanton  eye  ;  and 
her  name  was  Luxury.  After  her  there  came  an  old  woman, 
296 


The  Seven 

a  Jewess,  who  was  busy  all  the  time,  scraping  up  the  egg- 
shells of  the  sea-gulls  that  lay  about  on  the  ground  ;  and 
her  name  was  Avarice.  Then  a  monk  appeared,  most  greedy 
and  gluttonous,  eating  chitterlings  he  was,  and  cramming 
himself  with  sausages  and  champing  his  jaws  together  without 
ceasing,  like  the  sow  whereon  he  rode  ;  and  his  name  was 
Greed.  Thereafter  came  Idleness,  dragging  one  leg  after  the 
other ;  wan  she  was  and  bloated,  and  she  had  a  dull  eye. 
And  Anger  came  chasing  after  Idleness  with  a  sharp  needle  with 
which  she  pricked  her  so  that  she  cried  aloud,  and  Idleness 
grieved  and  lamented  with  many  tears,  and  kept  falling  down 
on  to  her  knees  so  tired  she  was.  Last  of  all  came  Envy, 
a  thin  figure  with  a  head  like  a  viper  and  teeth  like  the 
teeth  of  a  pike.  And  she  kept  biting  all  the  others  with 
those  cruel  teeth  of  hers — Idleness  because  she  had  too  much 
leisure,  Anger  because  she  was  too  lively,  Greed  because  he 
was  too  well  fed,  Luxury  because  she  was  too  ruddy,  Avarice 
because  of  the  treasure  of  shells  she  had  amassed,  Pride 
because  of  his  robe  of  purple  and  his  crown.  And  the  wisps 
kept  dancing  all  around,  and  they  spake  with  many  voices 
like  the  voices  of  men,  women,  and  girls,  and  in  the  plaintive 
voices  of  children,  and  they  groaned,  saying  : 

"  O  Pride,  father  of  Ambition,  and  you,  O  Anger,  that 
are  the  source  of  cruelty,  you  slew  us  on  many  a  battlefield, 
and  caused  our  death  in  many  a  prison  and  many  a  torture- 
chamber,  that  you  might  keep  your  sceptres  and  your  crowns  ! 
And  you,  O  Envy,  that  have  destroyed  so  many  useful 
thoughts  while  yet  in  the  germ,  we  are  the  souls  of  the 
inventors  whom  you  have  persecuted.  Avarice,  you  it  is 
that  have  turned  the  blood  of  the  poor  into  gold,  and  we  are 
the  souls  of  your  victims.  O  Luxury,  you  are  the  friend  and 
the  sister  of  Murder  ;  Nero,  Messalina,  Philip  King  of  Spain 
—such  are  your  children,  and  you  buy  virtue  and  you  bribe 
corruption,  and  we  are  the  souls  of  your  dead.  And  you, 
O  Idleness,  and  you,  Greed,  you  befoul  the  world,  but  the 

297 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

world  must  be  cleansed  of  you  ;  we  are  the  souls  of  those 
who  have  perished  at  your  hands." 
And  a  voice  was  heard  saying  : 

From  the  dung-heap  flowers  arise, 
Seven  are  wicked,  but  seven  are  good. 
Bad  teacher  oft  makes  pupil  wise. 
Now  longs  the  wandering  louse  comprise 
Both  coal  and  cinder  if  he  could  ! 

Then  spake  the  wisps  : 

"  Fire.  We  are  Fire — the  avenger  of  all  old  tears  and  all 
old  pains  which  the  people  have  suffered  ;  the  avenger  of  all 
the  human  game  that  has  been  hunted  for  pleasure  by  the 
Lords  of  this  land;  the  avenger  of  all  battles  fought  to  no 
purpose,  of  all  the  blood  that  has  been  spilt  in  prison,  of 
all  the  men  burned  at  the  stake  and  the  women  and  girls 
buried  alive  ;  the  avenger  of  all  the  past  of  blood  and  chains. 
The  Fire — that  is  Us — we  are  the  souls  of  the  dead." 

At  these  words  the  Seven  were  suddenly  transformed  into 
images  of  wood,  though  they  still  lost  nothing  of  their  former 
outline  ;  and  a  voice  was  heard  saying  : 

"  Burn  the  wood,  Ulenspiegel." 

And  Ulenspiegel  turned  towards  the  will-o'-the-wisps : 

"  You  that  are  made  of  fire,  do  your  office." 

And  the  wisps  thronged  around  the  seven  images,  which 
straightway  burst  into  flame  and  were  reduced  to  ashes. 

And  from  the  ashes  there  flowed  a  river  of  blood. 

But  out  of  the  ashes  arose  now  seven  other  figures,  and 
the  first  said  : 

"  Once  I  was  called  Pride.  But  now  my  name  is 
Nobility." 

And  the  rest  spake  after  the  same  fashion,  and  Nele  and 
Ulenspiegel  saw  how  Economy  came  forth  from  Avarice  ; 
Vivacity  from  Anger ;  Healthy  Appetite  from  Gluttony;  Emu- 
lation from  Envy;  and  from  Idleness  the  Dreams  of  poets  and 
298 


The  Riddle  Answered 

wise  men.   And  Luxury,  on  her  goat,  was  now  transformed  into 
the  likeness  of  a  beautiful  woman,  and  her  name  was  Love. 

And  all  around  them  danced  the  will-o'-the-wisps  most  joy- 
ously. And  thereafter  did  Ulenspiegel  and  Nele  begin  to  hear 
a  thousand  voices  as  of  hidden  men  and  women,  that  spake 
with  a  sonorous,  clicking  sound,  like  that  of  castanets,  and 
thus  sang  they : 

When  over  the  earth  and,  over  the  sea 
These  Seven  transformed  shall  reign, 
Mortals  lift  up  your  heads  again, 
For  happy  the  world  shall  he  ! 

And  Ulenspiegel  said :  "  These  spirits  are  making  mock 
of  us." 

And  a  powerful  hand  seized  Nele  by  the  arm,  and  threw 
her  away  into  the  void.  And  the  Spirits  sang  : 

When  the  North 
Shall  kiss  the  West 
Then  shall  he  the  end  of  ruin. 
Find  the  Cincture. 

"  Alas  ! "  cried  Ulenspiegel.  "  North,  West,  Cincture  / 
You  speak  in  riddles,  Sir  Spirits  !  " 

But  they  went  on  with  their  singing  and  chattering  : 

The  North  is  the  Netherland, 
Belgium  is  the  West. 
Cincture  is  friendship, 
Cincture  is  Alliance. 

"  Now  you  are  talking  sense,  Sir  Spirits,"  said  Ulenspiegel. 
And  yet  again  they  sang  : 

The  Cincture,  little  man, 
'Twixt  Holland  and  Belgium — 
Firm  Alliance, 
And  beautiful  Friendship. 

299 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

Alliance  of  Counsel, 
Alliance  of  Action, 

By  death 

By  blood, 
Were  it  not 
For  the  Scheldt, 
Little  man,  for  the  Scheldt. 

"  Alas  ! "  said  Ulenspiegel,  "  such  is  our  life  !  Tears  of 
man  and  laughter  of  destiny  !  " 

And  again  the  Spirits  repeated  their  rune,  and  their 
voices  were  like  the  clicking  of  castanets. 

Alliance  by  blood 
And  by  death 
Were  it  not 
For  the  Scheldt. 

And  a  strong  hand  took  hold  of  Ulenspiegel  and  threw 
him  into  the  void. 

XXXV 

As  she  fell,  Nele  rubbed  her  eyes  but  she  could  see 
nothing  save  the  sun  that  was  rising,  wreathed  in  a  golden 
mist.  And  then  the  tips  of  the  grass  all  golden  too,  in  that 
radiance  which  was  soon  to  tinge  with  gold  the  plumage  of 
the  sea-gulls  who  slept  as  yet,  but  were  about  to  awaken. 

Nele  looked  downwards  at  herself,  and  seeing  that  she  was 
naked  she  put  on  her  clothes  with  all  haste.  Then  it  was 
that  she  noticed  the  body  of  Ulenspiegel  where  it  lay  there, 
naked  also,  and  him  also  she  covered  with  his  clothes.  He 
seemed  to  be  still  asleep  and  she  gave  him  a  shake,  but  he 
remained  quite  motionless  like  one  dead.  Then  was  Nele 
seized  with  fear.  "  Have  I  killed  him  ?  "  she  cried.  "  Have 
I  killed  my  love  with  this  balm  of  vision  ?  Would  that  I  too 
might  die  !  Ah,  Tyl,  wake  up  !  But  he  is  as  cold  as 
marble  ! " 
300 


The  Burial  of  Ulenspiegel 

Ulenspiegel  did  not  awake,  and  two  nights  passed  and 
a  day,  and  Nele  still  watched  by  his  side  in  a  fever  of  grief 
and  fear. 

It  was  at  the  dawn  of  the  second  day  of  her  vigil  that  Nele 
heard  the  sound  of  a  little  bell  in  the  distance,  and  saw 
presently  a  peasant  approaching  with  a  shovel  in  his  hand. 
Behind  him  came  a  burgomaster  with  two  aldermen  carrying 
candles,  and  then  the  cure  of  Stavenisse  with  a  beadle  holding 
a  parasol  over  his  head.  It  appeared  that  they  were  going 
to  administer  the  Holy  Sacrament  of  Unction  to  one  Jacobsen, 
a  brave  Beggarman,  who  had  adopted  the  new  religion  by 
compulsion,  but  being  about  to  die  had  returned  to  the  bosoni 
of  the  Holy  Roman  Church. 

When  they  came  opposite  to  Nele  they  found  her  still 
crying,  and  they  saw  the  body  of  Ulenspiegel  laid  out  on  the 
grass  in  front  of  her,  covered  with  clothes.  Nele  fell  upon 
her  knees  in  front  of  the  little  procession. 

"  My  girl,"  said  the  burgomaster,  "  what  are  you  doing 
by  this  corpse  ?  " 

Without  daring  to  raise  her  eyes,  Nele  made  answer  : 

"  I  am  praying  for  the  soul  of  my  beloved,  he  that  has 
fallen  dead  as  if  struck  by  lightning.  I  am  alone  now,  and 
I  am  fain  to  die." 

But  already  the  cure  was  puffing  with  pleasure. 

"  Ulenspiegel  the  Beggarman  dead  !  "  he  cried.  "  Praise 
be  to  God  !  Be  quick  there,  peasant,  and  dig  a  grave,  and 
take  his  clothes  off  before  you  bury  him." 

"  No,"  said  Nele,  getting  up  from  the  ground.  "  No,  you 
shall  not  take  his  clothes,  he  would  be  cold  there  in  the  cold 
earth." 

"  Quick  !  "  cried  the  cur6,  addressing  himself  again  to  the 
peasant  with  the  shovel. 

"  You  may  bury  him,"  said  Nele,  all  in  tears.  "  I  give  you 
leave ;  for  this  sand  is  full  of  lime,  so  that  his  body  will  keep 
for  ever  whole  and  beautiful,  the  body  of  my  beloved." 

301 


The  Legend  of  Tyl  Ulenspiegel 

And  half  mad  with  anguish  as  she  was,  Nele  bent  over 
the  body  of  Ulenspiegel,  kissing  him  through  her  tears. 

Now  the  burgomaster,  the  aldermen,  and  even  the  peasant 
had  compassion  on  the  girl,  but  not  so  the  cure,  who  ceased 
not  to  cry  out  most  joyfully  :  "The  great  Beggarman  is  dead  ! 
God  be  praised  !  " 

Then  the  peasant  dug  the  grave,  and  Ulenspiegel  was 
placed  therein,  and  covered  all  over  with  sand. 

And  over  the  grave  the  cure  said  the  prayers  for  the  dead, 
and  the  others  knelt  all  round.  Suddenly  there  was  a  great 
commotion  in  the  sand,  and  Ulenspiegel  arose,  sneezing  and 
shaking  the  sand  from  his  hair,  and  he  seized  the  cure  by 
the  throat. 

"  Inquisitor ! "  he  cried.  "  I  was  asleep,  and  you  buried 
me  alive  !  Where  is  Nele  ?  Have  you  buried  her  also  ? 
Who  are  you  ?  " 

The  cur6  began  to  cry  out  in  terror  : 

"  The  great  Beggarman  returns  to  this  world  !  Lord 
God  have  mercy  on  my  soul !  " 

And  away  he  fled  like  a  stag  before  the  hounds. 

Nele  came  to  Ulenspiegel :   "  Kiss  me,  dearest,"  she  said. 

Then  Ulenspiegel  looked  about  him  once  more.  The  two 
peasants  had  run  off  like  the  cure,  and  that  they  might  run 
the  faster  they  had  thrown  to  the  ground  both  shovel  and 
parasol.  As  for  the  burgomaster  and  the  aldermen,  they  lay 
groaning  on  the  grass,  stopping  up  their  ears  in  their  fright. 

Ulenspiegel  went  to  them  and  gave  them  a  good  shaking. 

"  Think  you  that  they  can  be  buried  in  the  ground," 
he  asked  them,  "  Ulenspiegel  and  Nele  ?  Nele  that  is  the 
heart  of  our  Mother  Flanders,  and  Ulenspiegel  that  is  her 
soul  ?  She  can  sleep  too,  forsooth,  but  die — never  !  Come, 
Nele." 

And  they  twain  departed,  Ulenspiegel  singing  his  sixth 
song.  But  no  man  knoweth  where  he  sang  his  last. 


THE  SIXTH  SONG 


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